PenDragon - the official magazine of Lyford Cay International School PenDragon Vol 3, Spring 2017 | Page 16

With the kind assistance of the LCIS PTA and our
teachers, Ms Bethel and Ms De Jong, we were able
to formulate a plan of action, including a series
of events and small fundraisers. We immediately
got started working toward our goals and were
immensely supported by the LCIS community.
our community - Renae Moxey, the mother
of our classmate Camrawn. Her somber
diagnosis incited the entire Class of 2020 to
action. “Could we conquer the invincible?”
we asked ourselves. We knew that we could
not, but as Napoleon Hill once said, “If you
cannot achieve great things, achieve small
ones in a great way.” That is what we set out
to do.
A Community Initiative
By Ashley Newell, Britani Silvera and
Alecia Watson, Grade 9 students
We refused to be indifferent to Ms Moxey’s
illness and did our best to raise cancer
awareness within and outside of our school
community, as well as raise funds towards
her healthcare. Participating in this initiative
gave us new appreciation for the Creativity,
Activity, Service (CAS) component of the
International Baccalaureate (IB) which
encourages students to show initiative,
demonstrate perseverance and develop
skills such as collaboration, problem solving
and decision making.
In a world filled with indifference, only a
distinctive few have the courage to speak
up for those who have been silenced, and,
as we discovered in our interdisciplinary
unit on the Holocaust this year, “Indifference
is the epitome of evil” (Elie Wiesel). As
adolescents, we are exposed daily to horrors
going on around the world and often feel
powerless to bring about change. Through a
Cancer Awareness Initiative we carried out
this year, we were able to see that within each
of us is the power to
positively affect lives
even in the face of a
tragic disease.
We had the opportunity to raise funds for Ms
Moxey’s care through the PTA’s new Dragons’ Den
programme which supports student-led projects
by awarding grants to students with compelling
action plans. We captured the hearts of the PTA
with our ideas and motivations and received a
generous grant of $750 to start our initiative. It
was so inspiring to learn that our group will serve
as a pilot for future student projects, ensuring
many others may one day be helped just like Ms
Moxey. We will be continuing our efforts next
year to ensure that more and more attention can
be brought to the plight of the millions of people
around the world still fighting cancer.
People who are touched by cancer are changed
forever. Although Ms Moxey has now passed
away, we are proud to know that she expressed
appreciation for our efforts and that we were able
to help make her passing as peaceful as possible.
We will never forget the love and generosity
shown to her by our community. We hope that,
through our actions, other young people around
the world will see that indifference is never the
answer.
Pre-K Gala Art Dedicated to Ms Moxey
Without compassion
and without a cure,
cancer has affected
more than 5 million
people in the last
20 years worldwide,
and affects 1 out of
every 10 women in
Renae Moxey
The Bahamas. This
year, cancer affected one of our very own,
a teacher, a friend, and a hero to many in
Renae Moxey Mural
16
17
A Lap for Love on Sports Day
Over 200 students of all ages, parents,
teachers, and faculty participated in a lap
around the track at our annual Sports Day
in February. We sold pink bandanas that
were worn to raise awareness, and the true
meaning of family was shown. Thanks to
generous donations and kind hearts, we
raised $1,500, which was a major step on
our journey.
Cakes for Cancer Bake Sale
In February, we worked along with the PTA
to host a bake sale to build awareness of
cancer, as well as raise funds to support Ms
Moxey. We were so glad to be able to assist
in this event, which raised $4,608.
Kick for the Cure
Soccer is a passion of many students at
LCIS. In an effort to bring  all youth soccer
athletes on the island together for a com-
mon and worthy cause, we are planning
to sell pink socks to raise awareness and
funds for a cancer awareness organisation
at games next school year.