BY EMMA HUERTA
Throughout high school, clubs have the ability to make their voices heard and have immense impacts on significant issues. Here at CCHS, the DECA students have started making these impacts and are preparing for their second annual “Zumba for a Cause” fundraiser.
The fundraiser first started taking place last year, when seniors– and best friends– Madison Mutzman and Alexandra Deso decided to team up and raise awareness for breast cancer.
“It is primarily raising money that will be donated to an organization through the American Cancer Society known as ‘Making Strides Against Breast Cancer,’ an organization that is very close to mine and my family’s hearts,” Mutzman said. “Although we are raising money, the hope for our project is to promote the importance of exercise in raising awareness for breast cancer.”
Mutzman’s inspiration for this project sprouted after she lost her mother, Lisa Mutzman, three years ago to breast cancer. She chose to center the event around Zumba, which is what actually helped her mother detect her cancer. In order to continue her mother’s legacy, as well as raise awareness for the disease, she teamed up with Deso and DECA, along with other friends and family, to honor this promise.
“The hope for our project is to promote the importance of exercise in raising awareness for breast cancer.”
“We started this project in our junior year as a way to uphold my mom’s legacy and without her [Deso], I wouldn’t be able to put on this event,” Mutzman said. “Additionally, we have lots of support through the CCHS DECA chapter which participated in all of our events and setup. Lastly, my family and friends who were close to my mom and are breast cancer survivors help us get ready and motivate people to attend our event.”
Zumba, and exercise as a whole, can have immense impacts on a person’s future since it can reduce one’s risk of developing a disease like breast cancer.
“Zumba is a dancing form of exercise and by putting on this fundraiser we are encouraging women (and men) to work out, which increases their estrogen levels and helps reduce the risk of breast cancer,” Deso said.
“We started this project in our junior year as a way to uphold my mom’s legacy.”
The girls have been planning the event since May of last year, and have gone through very extensive planning since then. In order to ensure that the date is a success, they have had to go through rigorous processes.
“We submitted the project approval and facility usage forms a while before to reserve our spot in the school and make sure our fundraiser was approved,” said Deso. “We also reached out to local Zumba instructors and started to promote ahead of time to make sure everything runs smoothly [on] the day of the event.”
The fundraiser is planned to take place on October 27th from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and ticket sales will begin at the door at 11:30 a.m. Student and children admission is $5, and adult tickets are $15. Any and all donations will also be accepted.
“I’m so glad that I have a chance to contribute somehow to the fight against breast cancer.”
“We will begin our Zumba for a Cure class that is led by certified Zumba instructor Fran Mishler and some of her colleagues,” Mutzman said. “Towards the end of the class, I will most likely be thanking everyone who came to participate as it is a very meaningful event to my family and friends since it was what helped my mom.”
Mutzman and Deso represent the voice that students can have through being passionate about something and devoting their time and energy to the cause. Their dedication has inspired many of those around them, including other DECA students and peers.
“I think that this chapter project is absolutely amazing and so inspiring,” sophomore Ashley Rodriguez said. “I’m so glad that I have a chance to contribute somehow to the fight against breast cancer and DECA has provided with this opportunity that I otherwise wouldn’t have had.”
Photo by Carly Cuoco
