Photo by Erin Nelson.
James Howell, a cancer survivor, speaks about his journey and the impact of Rebels Impact through Service and Engagement (RISE) during the assembly to kick-off the 2020 campaign at the school’s gymnasium in January. Money raised by the student body will benefit the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB Hospital.
This spring, students from Vestavia Hills High School are once again organizing events and raising money to help people battling cancer.
Following a handful of fundraising events in the fall, the spring semester of the RISE (Rebels Impacting Through Service and Engagement) campaign will include the annual kickoff assembly on Jan. 12, the Sadie Hawkins Dance, yard sales throughout the city, a Rebel Run 5K/color run and more, culminating in RISE Day, where the amount of money raised for UAB’s O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center will be unveiled.
The money goes directly to the Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology program at the center, impacting people such as Sam Cunningham, a RISE committee chairman who has twice beaten leukemia. His journey and those of other Vestavia students has inspired his classmates.
“In middle school, two of our students were diagnosed with cancer,” said Miller Murray, one of this year’s campaign committee chairwomen.
Seeing how cancer impacted their friends and classmates allowed Murray and her fellow chairpersons to see why they are fighting.
Joe Eshleman, who serves as a chairman on the committee, saw his mom battle breast cancer, inspiring him to fight.
In addition to Cunningham, Eshleman and Murray, the other committee chairpersons are Sarah Jane Richardson and Livi Cate Osborne. All of them have been involved with RISE since their freshman year, and all will graduate this spring.
RISE, born out of Youth Leadership Vestavia Hills, includes numerous other students who get involved and help organize different events. Part of the role of the five senior leaders is to ensure those committees have what they need to have a successful event. Murray said probably half of the high school’s student population is involved in RISE.
“I think one of the things this class has really pushed for us is being a servant leader,” Murray said.
Murray and her peers are learning to “do the things that get missed” and helping others lead.
Osborne said she has learned a lot about working with adults over the past few months.
“I’ve shaken more hands than I had before,” she said.
Eshleman said helping lead RISE has helped him develop communication skills as they call sponsors and ask for funds.
Richardson said seeing the impact that fundraising for cancer treatment and more has on friends like Sam is significant for her. Raising money specifically for young adults battling cancer is meaningful, Murray said.
“I think it’s a very important phase of your life and needs specific care,” Murray said. “It’s a really powerful thing to think about.”
Eshleman said it’s special to know they are having an impact on the lives of others, while Murray said even though they’re still in high school, they can still make a difference.
“I think it can be easy to underestimate ourselves as students sometimes,” Murray said.
Here are some of the events scheduled in conjunction with RISE:
Kickoff Assembly: Jan. 12 9 a.m. in the VHHS Gym
Superhero Fun Run (1st-5th grade): March 4 at the Thompson-Reynolds Stadium at VHHS. Gather at 8 a.m.; race begins at 8:30 a.m. Registration is $20 per person and includes a T-shirt. Register online at GoFan.co by Feb. 21.
Rebel 5K Color Run (6th grade to adults): March 4 in the VHHS front parking lot. Gather at 9:30 a.m.; race begins at 10 a.m. Registration is $20 per person and includes a t-shirt. Register online at GoFan.co by Feb. 21.
Kids Day: March 18 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at VHHS. Features a touch-a-truck and character party. Tickets are $15 per child and free for adults. Tickets are available on GoFan.co
RISE Day 2023: April 15 4-10 p.m. at VHHS Fields. This event is free and open to the entire community.
