Pink Power
October 2, 2009 Shelby Co. High School
You may have noticed that our site has a new look or "color" to it, this october in respect to Mrs. Rasco and all she does for our school and community, we will have pink font and a different wildcat logo than ussual.
This October is usually when you see more pink ribbons on pins and car magnets, but this October just happens to come at a time where the wildcats along with the entire school and community found out that the beloved Mrs. Rasco mother of SCHS graduate Bari, and current varsity cheerleaders Lauren and Jessica Rasco found out last week she indeed has breast cancer.
Dawn (Mrs. Rasco) is most known for always being a supportive person and "second mom" to all the athletes, along with serving on athletic boards and taking many pictures at all the events. She is the reason our site has most of it's pictures, and we greatly thank her for that! Wednesday an article was published in the Shelby County Reporter.
COLUMBIANA - Baby pink material wrapped the arms of football players gathered in the Shelby County High School gymnasium Sept. 18 when Dawn Rasco, a mother of a senior cheerleader, walked in to take pictures of the day's pep rally. The spirited display of color wasn't in response to the night's game, but instead in support of Rasco, who discovered the previous Monday she had breast cancer.
"I just cried and cried and cried. They're my boys," Rasco said. "I am in awe that they did this for me."
Rasco originally thought one of her three daughters - Bari, Lauren or Jessica - had asked their friends to get involved. Instead, the plan originated from senior football players Braten Dill, Kevin McNorton and Austin Shelton after they learned of Rasco's diagnosis from her middle daughter Lauren.
"We basically live at her house - she's like our second mother," Dill said. "She's involved in all the football stuff, baseball stuff and other sports."
So, when the guys dressed out for their game against Sylacauga, they also sported baby pink wristbands and pink ribbon emblems on their helmets. Thinking pink didn't stop at the guys carrying the pigskin though. It spread.
"It wasn't just the football team. We have a pep squad and they painted their faces pink, the band and color guard wore pink ribbons, even people in the student section wore it. It was really sweet," Lauren said, tearing up.
McNorton said this gave students an opportunity to repay the support Rasco's always shown them.
"She shows up at all our games even when her daughters aren't involved," McNorton said. "We just wanted to show her how important she is to us."
Head Coach Ryan Herring said he knows how much Rasco means to the guys.
"There's nothing we wouldn't do to support her," Herring said. "The game is really important to us, but Miss Rasco's health, her life, is more important to us. These guys put her first."
Rasco said people seem surprised when she jokes about what's happening to her. But she said if she didn't laugh, she might cry, and that's not how she wants to live.
"I could curl up and sob, but there's so many people watching - especially my girls - I don't want them scared," she said. "I'm not scared of the cancer. I know they're (doctors) going to get it, and I know I'm going to be okay, I'm just worried about my day-to-day."
Rasco met with surgeons earlier this week to discuss the double mastectomy she'll soon undergo. Rasco said she isn't too concerned about loosing her breasts.
She simply told the surgeons, "You just have to do it on a Monday or Tuesday, we've got football on Friday."
GOD BLESS HER, WE HAVE A GIFT JUST BEING AROUND HER AND LEARNING HOW TO REALLY LIVE LIFE FOR ALL ITS WORTH... GOOD LUCK MRS. RASCO- YOUR WILDCATS
| 
NATIONAL
ALABAMA
