Members of the Austin High School Youth Leadership Club present a $2,500 donation Tuesday from their 5th annual “Strides for a Cure” 5K run/walk and 5-mile run to The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota to support breast cancer research. The gift marked the first donation toward the 2016 “Paint the Town Pink” initiative to raise awareness and support for The Hormel Institute’s breast cancer research.
Kelsey Boland, a scientist in the research section led by Dr. Rebecca Morris, accepted the donation on behalf of The Hormel Institute in Austin. The Morris lab is one of the Institute’s sections working on a breast cancer project funded by a seed grant from “Paint the Town Pink” donations.
Pictured (left to right) are AHS students Madison Overby; Sarah Willrodt; Kelsey Boland of The Hormel Institute; and Giancarlo Marconi.
AHS Youth Leadership Club, led by advisor Emily Hovland, drew about 120 participants for the May 9 event at Austin’s Todd Park. “Strides for a Cure” now has raised $13,000 in five years for the Institute’s breast cancer research.
This year, the 5th annual “Paint the Town Pink” raised more than $190,000 overall, with 100 percent of those funds going directly toward supporting breast cancer research at The Hormel Institute.
