Located in the FACS hallway, this plaque is there to commemorate Mrs. Nancy Jaynes. She was a FACS teacher at PHS who lost her battle with breast cancer. Photo by: Patricia Ortiz

By Patricia Ortiz

Plymouth High School geared up in their best pink attire for breast cancer awareness.

During the week of September 19-23 the Plymouth High School’s Operation Leadership program sponsored pink week. That week, Operation Leadership sold items like “T-shirts, feathers, bracelets, bookmarks, pencils, bags and a lot of different breast cancer awareness items” said Senior Olivia Hilliard. Pink rubber duckies were among the items sold. The items that were sold, “came from Oliver Ford, but the idea for the hair feathers was an original idea by one of Operation Leadership kids ([Junior] Grace Stokes). We were thinking of what was popular for teens today and what we could sell for a decent price and still make a profit. Hair feathers met the standards and were fun and funky” said Junior Ella Portteus. Many students purchased a variety of the items sold. The T-shirts that were sold were designed for “the Tata Trot in the Summer. They were hand made by a women in Warsaw,” said Hilliard.

This bracelet was among one of the items sold by Operation Leadership. Photo by: Patricia Ortiz

Feathers were among the most popular items sold during the week. They were among the items sold to students because “we knew that a lot of girls would want to buy them. They are so popular! The rest of the stuff was provided to us by Oliver Ford” stated Portteus. Students and hairstylists were the ones that put feathers in students hair. Junior Andria Shook was among the students that put on feathers and on Monday “we did not sell that many but then the other days the line to get a feather put in was at least 3 people long constantly” stated Shook. Hilliard adds that “a couple of hundred” feathers were sold.

Operation Leadership had a goal of selling $1000. Not only did they make their goal but they “made about $2,800!” stated Portteus.

The items were not only sold during lunch but they were also sold during the boys soccer game on September 22. All the money gathered was to go to the Nancy Jaynes scholarship. Nancy Jaynes was a Family and Consumer Science teacher at PHS who lost the battle to breast cancer.