Knights Make Strides Against Breast Cancer

West Roxbury, Mass.— Aidan Gallery stood before a packed Ronald S. Perry Gymnasium on Sunday morning. He paused and took in the moment. At 7 AM, the morning felt different from most. No yawns. No groans.

Instead, an excitement hung in the air on 235 Baker Street.

Forgoing their day of rest, over 400 Catholic Memorial School students gathered at CM. One-by-one they picked up their bright red T-shirts and took their seat in the bleachers before boarding buses for the 2018 Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk at the Boston Esplanade. Together, they stood in solidarity as a “Red Sea,” waiting for Aidan to begin the school’s prayer service with a simple question.

“Why do we do what we do?” he asked the crowd.

Aidan needed no response. The back of his classmates’ shirts spelled the answer in Latin.

Vince in bono malum. To conquer evil by doing good.

“Seeing my friends and other students at CM come together to work and to fight for this cause is something that reminds me why I’m here,” said Aidan, whose mother fought metastatic breast cancer on seven different occasions and continues fighting the disease to this day.

“That, right there, is what makes being a part of this community one of the best things I have done in my life. I am confident that CM will continue doing good through the community and make a difference.”

Faculty and students hung to his every word. They listened in silence as Aidan, a senior from Canton, reflected on his mother’s battle with breast cancer and its impact on his family. He reminded the CM community that, when they walked that day, they walked for a cause greater than themselves. They walked for something they truly cared about.

That morning, Aidan knew just how much his fellow classmates cared. CM students raised over $1,000 for the American Cancer Society during the school’s “Olympic Day” the week before. CM’s Campus Ministry and Peer Ministry programs fundraise for the walk and coordinate the school’s annual walk team known as the Red Sea.

The CM prayer service ended with a final plea for more donations. Faculty members passed collection baskets after CM Vice Principal Ms. Gloria Riley challenged the Red Sea to match her $100 donation. Students emptied their pockets, offering whatever spare change possible if it meant adding to the $5,000 already raised in 2018.

The students boarded nine yellow buses and arrived at the Esplanade’s Hatch Shell. On the Hatch Shell stage, The Making Strides Against Breast Cancer organization presented Dr. Folan and five student representatives with a plaque recognizing the $12,000 that CM raised for the American Cancer Society in 2017. CM earned fifth place honors amongst all participating teams fundraising for the event last year.

“Personally, my life hasn't been affected in a monumental way by breast cancer, but I have lots of friends whose lives have been,” said senior Peer Minister Matthew Freitas, who joined Dr. Folan on stage.

“Fundraising for the walk is an amazing way for the entire CM community to join together in order to focus on a specific goal, and it just so happens it's for such an important cause. Every dollar raised isn't just going to a random, meaningless cause, but it goes to something that means a lot to the entire student body.”

On stage, Dr. Folan led the Red Sea in a rendition of the school’s fight song. The students below huddled together and sang in chorus. Their voices echoed to the walk’s start line. Upperclassmen, underclassmen, and middle schoolers alike began the two-mile trail on the Charles River in unison.

Over the course of the hour-long trek, the group extended into a united red line. Students stopped every now-and-then for a photo. Others lost themselves in a conversation with a new friend. It seemed impossible not to with such a warm community of neighboring schools gathered together for a noble cause. They exchanged stories, sharing with one another why they gathered on the Esplanade that day.

While the walk ended at 10:30 that morning, its spirit stayed in the hearts of every student.

“Having this as a part of the school’s tradition is, to me, one of the best things we do as a community,” said Aidan, after returning from the walk.

“It really shows that we, as an all-boys school, are there for women who are dealing with so much and we understand that something needs to be done in order to make a real difference.”