Beth Anne Carroll
Staff Writer
Each year, millions of people around the world are diagnosed with cancer. Students from Coppell High School are trying to help decrease this number in coming years.
Senior Sarah Hillier recently started the Illumination Project. The main goals of the new project are to raise cancer awareness and help fundraise for a cure.
“I have a really good friend who’s family lived two doors down from me in Oklahoma and I have known their little girl since she was born,” Hillier said. “She is 8 years old now and a couple of months ago she was diagnosed with Leukemia. That was a really big deal for me because it was scary to think that this little girl could be fighting such a life threatening battle. It was a really big eye opener to see how personal and prevalent cancer really is.”
To promote the project and raise awareness of cancer, Hillier created Facebook and Twitter pages to follow and learn about the program, as well as a YouTube channel where people can post stories about how cancer has affected their lives.
The first major event for the campaign will be the Shine the Light benefit concert, which is expected to take place in April. The concert will feature a contingent of local artists and all proceeds benefit cancer research. Hillier enlisted the help of senior Sarah Millett to organize the concert and spread the word.
“Sarah came to me on Facebook and said ‘watch my video’ and I did,” Millett said. “She talked all about how she would love to have help from singers, artists or anyone from a band that could help her put together this concert, and I said yes.”
All money raised at the concert will be donated to the Dear Jack Foundation. The foundation, started by Andrew McMahon in 2005, seeks to raise awareness and raise money for organizations and charities aimed at saving the lives of young cancer patients through cancer research.
Concert plans are not yet finalized, but several artists have already agreed to play and Millett and Hillier are looking forward to the event.
“Right now, we’re still looking for a venue and we are still drumming up support,” Millett said. “We are still in the basic planning stations and trying to spread the word.”
Hillier also plans to get bands to come together and make a compilation CD to be released later this year, with proceeds once again going to the Dear Jack Foundation.
The cause behind the Illumination Project has touched the lives of everyone involved. Just like Hillier, cancer has touched the lives of all of the project’s contributors.
In addition to Millett’s family members being affected by cancer, freshmen Regan Sullivan and Jill Fisher posted videos on the project’s YouTube channel explaining how cancer has affected their lives with hopes of raising awareness. Both girls lost family members to cancer and posted videos with hopes of showing people how common cancer is.
“I made the video because I wanted to raise awareness,” Fisher said. “I hope my contribution for this project will help get the word out about cancer and how it has affected so many people.”
All of these girls have helped to make cancer more personal, one of Hillier’s biggest goals for this project. By making the cause seem more common and personal, it will be easier to spread awareness and get people involved with the project.
Cancer is a dangerous disease that affects the lives of millions every year. It not only takes a serious toll on the patient, but also everyone else close to them. The Illumination Project hopes to make life a little easier for these patients and their families.
