With A Goal To Educate: The Creation of the Pink Club at St. John’s School

Co-founders Lee Monistere and Erin Bray brought one of the newest clubs at St. John’s School to life this August. Due to both personal and professional interests, the young women decided to start a club focusing on bringing awareness to breast cancer. As October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Pink Club is striving to reach as many people as possible.

Their mission? To educate as many young women as possible in preventative action against breast cancer.

“One of the best things we can do is bring attention to how common breast cancer is. I don’t think people realize just how common it is,” said Bray.

Diagnosed in 240,000 American women each year, breast cancer is the second most common form of cancer in the United States. An even more staggering statistic is that 1-in-8 women in the U.S. will have breast cancer in their lifetime.

Monistere’s mother, Tana, is a breast cancer survivor herself. Diagnosed in 2008, Mrs. Monistere has been cancer-free for over 15 years. She discovered her breast cancer through self-examination and encourages all women to, “know your body. Go get a mammogram. Take care of yourself.”

Mrs. Monistere also expressed sincere gratitude towards the medical teams in Houston.

“I caught my cancer late, but the teams we had in Houston were so fantastic. I just feel so lucky to have had access to such amazing care.” Mrs. Monistere’s gratitude has inspired Pink Club to coordinate with local hospitals to provide hand-written cards to women undergoing treatment as well as other sorts of arts-and-crafts to brighten a patient’s day.

This October, the Pink Club encourages people to, “Wear pink and educate yourselves about breast cancer.”