School 5 held “Pink Out the School” last week. Submitted photo

DUNKIRK — Last week, the Dunkirk Teachers Association’s committee known as the Progress Team celebrated an important fundraising event across most of the schools in the Dunkirk area. Specifically, School 5 went all in on wearing pink in recognition of Cancer Awareness Month, selecting Oct. 22 as its National Pink Out for Kids Day.

“We had a great turnout between teachers, aides, and custodians,” said Andrea Hojnacki-Smith. “Everyone dressed in pink and it went over very well.”

Hojnacki-Smith, an English as a Second Language Teacher, also is the co-chair of the Progress Team. She said the school attepmts to do a community fundraiser in both the fall and spring. Hojnacki-Smith has been a member of the Progress Team for 15 years, and said the Dunkirk school district at once time participated in the Jamestown walk for Cancer Awareness, but it’s been a long time since then. She hopes to see the school return to the walk next year.

“We’re participating in the donation part,” Hojnacki-Smith said. “Next year we’ll try to get into the walk. Baby steps.”

Hojancki-Smith said all schools within the Dunkirk district are participating in the donation aspect, as School 3 held its event on Oct. 21. The donation period in the school technically ends Friday, though donations can be made online until Thanksgiving.

The significance of cancer awareness does not have to be justified anywhere, and the Dunkirk school district and its Teachers Association are no exception to that.

“Of course everybody has somebody that they know who has had cancer,” Hojnacki-Smith said. “We chose this project because it’s something the National Teachers Association is involved with. We wanted to be a part of that and help the community as a whole and we want the community to know that we do things inside the school and out.”

The Progress Team at Dunkirk is made up of 14 members, with members in each building so the group can work together as a team and have knowledge of each building.

Those interested in contributing to the Dunkirk City Schools Fundraising efforts can visit http://main.acsevents.org/goto/dunkirkdta.