The Bear Creek School supported Strong Against Cancer to promote school spirit and engage the school population for a worthy cause Jan. 23-27. Throughout the week, students sold purple capes and other purple spirit gear with proceeds benefiting Strong Against Cancer. The students raised $4,784.43 for the cause, which included the sale of 203 shirts, 159 capes, 26 masks, 20 hats, and 24 pairs of socks.

This is the third consecutive year that the Bear Creek Leads’ Compassion in Action program has partnered with Strong Against Cancer.

In 2015, the students sold 130 capes and held a benefit concert, raising $1,510 to support cancer research.

In 2016, the upper school students led the charge donating $3,270 to Seattle Children’s after a successful campaign culminating with Spirit Week the Bear Creek/Overlake basketball games. Through the Compassion in Action program, Bear Creek students also support Hopelink in Redmond by conducting a food drive each fall and the Doulos Discovery School in the Dominican Republic by serving on an annual mission trip.

This year during the week of Jan. 17, Dean of Students Rev. Dr. Jeff Gephart spoke at chapel with K-12 students from 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 about how showing comfort to others is something strong people do, and it helps others get stronger.

Then during the week of Jan. 23, upper school students heard from researchers at the Seattle Children’s Ben Towne Center for Childhood Cancer Research at their Monday morning Assembly and from Bear Creek alumnus Tyler Kowal on his own battle with cancer at chapel on Tuesday. During Spirit Week on the same days, students engaged in crazy dress days, lunchtime contests and a pep assembly on Friday after lunch, and they also took time to reflect on how cancer has impacted those they love.

On Friday evening, the entire student body was encouraged to don their purple attire and come out to support the cause and the Grizzlies at the basketball games against local rivals, the Overlake Owls. In a show of solidarity for the cause and unity for the school, the gym was packed with purple all evening. Overlake students also supported the cause by selling T-shirts on Thursday and Friday at their school the same week.

Overlake’s upper school ASB donated $230 (included in total amount above), which was presented by Kellen Foster and Nate Cunningham during halftime of the varsity boys basketball game to Bear Creek’s ASB treasurer Price Ludwig. After the game, students from both schools posed together with a large banner proclaiming “Together in Our Fight.”