Medical students from Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine recently held a fundraiser to raise awareness and funds for early-onset breast cancer research.
OUWB’s Oncology Interest Group (OncIG) partnered with barre3 of Rochester Hills for the event.
On Oct. 25, fundraiser participants gathered in barre3’s studio to participate in an instructed hourlong fitness class. In addition to raising funds, organizers said the event offered a supportive space to improve mental and physical health while spreading awareness.
The studio directed class participation donations to the Breast Cancer Research Fund, which provides a four-times match. With the match, the fundraiser is expected to net nearly $7,000 for the cause.
Rachel Israel, M3, started the fundraiser last year in honor of her sister, Mara Hanna Israel, who loved fitness and passed away from breast cancer at the age of 30.
The event has continued to evolve in an impactful way, she said.
“The most rewarding thing has been seeing it continue on through the next generation of students in the Oncology Interest Group, and I hope that it keeps going for many years to come,” said Israel.
The class also honored the memory of classmate Grace Nolan, who passed away on Oct. 18.
“Grace was so involved in exercise and athletics, we felt like this was a good way to bring the community together during such a hard time and do something that Grace loved so much as well,” said Rebecca Bienstock, M2, outreach coordinator, OncIG.
Bienstock noted the importance of teaming up to support breast cancer research as medical students.
“As medical students, we have so many different interests,” she said. “(The fundraiser) is a great way to come together and not only educate ourselves on such a prevalent cancer, but also find ways to make a difference in our community.”
Organizers said they hope the event continues as an annual tradition for the OUWB community.
“The hope is to continue doing this, not only as a way to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer research but also come together as an OUWB community to memorialize people and work through something that can be such a sensitive and difficult topic together as a student body,” Bienstock said.
Organizers also want attendees to take away the importance of prioritizing personal health and community.
“It's so important to find time to be with the people that we care about and find time to take care of ourselves,” Israel said. “I hope that doing this event for breast cancer and speaking about my story can help people realize that you're never too young to focus on your health.”
Israel emphasized early detection, noting how it can help future physicians care for their patients.
“You're never too young to do self-checks, you're never too young to look for things that could be wrong and to take care of yourself," she said. “I think it'll help us take care of our patients in the future too.”
Rishabh Sud, M2, participated in the class and highlighted the significance of raising awareness.
“It's something that affects a lot of people, friends, and family,” he said. “It's just very widespread, and it's important to raise awareness for it and raise money for such an important cause.”
Sud also noted the value of getting involved.
“It's a way to represent yourself and get physically active for a good cause,” he said.
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