‘Pink Day’ at Stoner Prairie Elementary teaches lesson about life

As the Race for the Cure on Saturday morning approaches, Stoner Prairie Elementary School students and staff were wearing pink Friday in support of breast cancer awareness and research.

For lunchroom supervisor Susan Schauf, wearing pink is deeply personal.

“I was very fortunate because I’ve been afflicted with what I call ‘cancer lite,’ and I say that only because my first breast cancer was detected early,” she said.

Schauf was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2002 and then again in 2005. Now cancer-free for 10 years, she and a group of survivors call themselves “Pretty in Pink” and have been at the Race for the Cure for the past 12 years.

Registration for the Susan G. Komen race starts Saturday morning at 6 a.m. on Willow Island at the Alliant Energy Center.

“I just think its an awareness type of thing and that it’s important for kids at any age, K through 5, and grownups,” Scauf said.