Cancer, when people hear that word, they freak out, they become sad or they even start crying. At the end of the day, cancer is a deadly disease and there is no cure yet. However, what most people don’t think of is cancer research. Research is the future, it’s the only way humanity can get rid of cancer once and for all.
On Tuesday Feb. 13, during the girls and boys basketball game hosted at the McPherson Roundhouse, Bullpups Beat Cancer had a fundraiser. This is one example of the multiple fundraisers and give back days organized to raise money for cancer research.
Bullpups Beat Cancer is a fundraiser that has been around for three years. This year’s leaders are Mallorie Cooper, Cora Pavlovich and Kenzi Kaufman. “I was nominated by the previous leader and then I asked Cora and Kenzi to join me,” said Cooper.
“I am very glad that I asked Cora and Kenzi to help because there is definitely a lot of work to do,” said Cooper, “and three is better than one!” In the beginning, they used to do everything together but now they divide their responsibilities.
Cooper was nominated around this time last year. The three girls have been in charge of Bullpups Beat Cancer since July 2023 and they have already accomplished a lot. Their goal is to raise money for cancer research. “All the money will go to Leukemia Lymphoma Society, LLS, and then they will distribute it to other organizations all across the country,” said Cooper.
The fundraiser at the basketball game was the most recent and one of their most successful fundraisers. “We asked all the McPherson High School sports teams to donate us a basket with some goods and items,” said Cooper.
“I was very surprised by the value of the baskets!” said Pavlovich. The three girls got together at Cooper’s house and calculated the value of the baskets. It was very impressive because some of them were worth more than $200! It was very rewarding for the girls to see how generous all the teams were.
In the AC of McPherson High School, the girls set up the tables with the baskets and one table with the Travis Kelce jersey. The jersey was a donation made to Bullpups Beat Cancer. People had the possibility to buy a ticket and then on Thursday, February 22, the girls raffled the tickets and announced the winner. “The Travis Kelce jersey was probably the most successful fundraiser so far,” said Cooper.
At halftime of the boys basketball game on Tuesday, Feb. 13, the cheerleaders and the dance team went around the Roundhouse to collect money during the Miracle Minute. The people in the stands had one minute to donate money to the girls that were coming around.
“The Miracle Minute was such a good moment,” said Cooper, “Kenzi was passing around with baskets and Cora and I were just sitting in a corner. Everyone was just waving their money and that is so cool to me because our community is just amazing.” It was definitely a ‘wow’ moment and one of the best memories they have made so far.
One of the keys to having successful fundraising is the community. One of the major goals of the 2024 Bullpups Beat Cancer was to involve the community more. “It’s definitely easier to do it with three people,” said Pavlovich.
“Our community is so good. The biggest takeaway lesson I got is how generous people from McPherson are. People come to us and ask if they can help,” said Kaufman. People have reached out to them to share their ideas for future fundraisers or just to help the girls during the events.
“The community helps to take a load off,” said Pavlovich. There is always a lot of work to do, even though there are three people. “A big lesson from this experience is that we can step back, it’s okay,” said Cooper. Friends, family and even other community members are always ready to step in and help Bullpups Beat Cancer.
Thanks to Bullpups Beat Cancer the community can realize the value of the new generation as well. “It reminds people that only because you’re young it doesn’t mean that you can’t do anything,” said Cooper. The community has the chance to understand that not all the youth of this generation are lazy.
This experience has been so great to the three girls. “I have grown as a person so much,” said Cooper. They had the possibility to see the raw statistics about cancer treatments and research as well and for the girls it was really eye-opening.
Bullpups Beat Cancer’s goal is to raise $100,000. “It might seem like a lot of money, but it really isn’t that much research wise,” said Cooper. The girls hope they will reach their goal but even if they don’t, they know that every dollar they raise can make a difference.
The amount of people that donate, knowing that is going to a good cause, is extraordinary. “We had people who had or has cancer donating to us,” said Cooper.
Organizing fundraisers and getting people involved requires a lot of work and time. “Time, that is definitely one of the biggest difficulties,” said Cooper. “We communicate a lot with each other,” said Pavlovich, “but sometimes there is some confusion or times when no one is posting on the Instagram profile.”
Kaufman is part of the dance team and Cooper and Pavlovich are about to start softball so they will have even less time. Friends and family are always ready to step in. “Our moms and Olivia Cheatham, a senior at McPherson High School, are always very helpful,” said Cooper.
Bullpups Beat Cancer has already organized many fundraisers and give back days. The very first give back day was at the jewelry store on Main Street, in McPherson. “Right now we are selling drinks at The Locker Room,” said Cooper. A portion of the sales will go to them. “We’ve done many give back days at restaurants as well,” said Pavlovich.
One of the most recent fundraisers is the 50 State Challenge. The goal is to receive a donation from each and every of the 50 states. “It’s a way to get people involved outside of our community. We’ve already received donations from Tennessee, Nebraska, Utah, Georgia,” said Kaufman.
That is only one way to try to get people outside the community to donate. “We’ve reached out to other schools, such as Canton Galva, to do the Miracle Minute,” said Cooper. “Reaching out to people on Facebook is great way to expand outside our community as well,” said Kaufman.
The girls already have in mind some plans for future fundraisers. “There will be a pie night and a dollar every pie goes to us,” said Kaufman. They will serve Chick-fil-A sandwiches at school for lunch, even though they haven’t made the announcement yet. They plan to do a give back day at The Stone Chimney and one at Wendy’s as well.
They have just recently announced that Bullpups Beat Cancer is partnering with Scooter’s Coffee in McPherson on Monday, March 6th, from 5.30 AM to 8.00 PM. By just grabbing a coffee or a treat and mentioning their fundraiser, a portion of all the sales during that time will be donated to Bullpups Beat Cancer.
Thanks to this experience the girls have had the opportunity to meet people affected by cancer. “Azel Bryant is a 4-year-old boy in Wichita, affected by cancer. He is a honor hero and the face of our campaign,” said Cooper.
They try to spread awareness by just doing the campaign. “A lot of people don’t realize how many people are touched by cancer and what they are going through,” said Cooper.
Being the leader of Bullpups Beat Cancer is hard work and it takes a lot of time. However, it has so many good aspects and it’s worth it, despite everything. “I hope we will be remembered for how much we care and all the effort we put in,” said Pavlovich.
At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how much money 2024 Bullpups Beat Cancer will be able to raise. What matters is how Mallorie Cooper, Cora Pavlovich and Kenzi Kaufman will be able to make a mark in the heart of the community. Money doesn’t last forever but these girls are making a difference and will be remembered for generations.
