Benefit Ball raises money for Diana Magana, an SBHS student with
cancer
San Benito High School freshman Diana Magana, who is battling
cancer, will be the beneficiary of the annual Benefit Ball hosted
by the Associated Student Body on Feb. 5.
ASB members sent out letters to SBHS staff asking for possible
beneficiary candidates and received a few replies. But one stood
out.
Benefit Ball raises money for Diana Magana, an SBHS student with cancer
San Benito High School freshman Diana Magana, who is battling cancer, will be the beneficiary of the annual Benefit Ball hosted by the Associated Student Body on Feb. 5.
ASB members sent out letters to SBHS staff asking for possible beneficiary candidates and received a few replies. But one stood out.
“We picked Diana because first of all, she goes to SBHS, and this is her second time being diagnosed with cancer,” said Sarah Bartholf, ASB Benefit Ball chairperson.
Irma Albright, who teaches at SBHS and is also Magana’s home hospital teacher, sent a response explaining how Magana was the best choice for a candidate.
“I cannot think of anyone more worthy as the beneficiary of our high school’s Benefit Ball,” Albright said.
Magana was first diagnosed with cancer in middle school. She was playing with her little sister and got kicked in the leg. The kick swelled and bruised, and Magana was taken to the hospital. Her family was soon informed that the doctor had discovered a growing tumor. The tumor was surgically removed, and she received chemotherapy in the following months.
Magana thought she was cancer-free but in Nov. 2009 she was given a CT scan, and doctors discovered that her cancer has spread and formed a tumor in her lung.
The freshman was reluctant at first to be the beneficiary, initially declining the school’s help.
“Diana didn’t want to do it at first,” Bartholf said, noting that Magana didn’t want to be thought of as the beneficiary. But after talking about it with her parents, Magana decided to go ahead with it.
The students’ fundraising goal is an admittedly ambitious one, though they are undeterred.
“Our goal is $15,000,” Bartholf said. “We really want to beat last year’s record.”
In order to raise that kind of money she said ASB has to have fundraisers and hope that through publicity they can get more students involved.
The students hosted a fundraiser at Papa Murphy’s Jan. 28, when 25 percent of proceeds went to the Benefit Ball. That raised nearly $500.
“We stood outside of Safeway asking for donations, and we plan to go to Nob Hill on Saturday,” she said in the week before the Ball. “We have pledge sheets and raffle tickets. A raffle ticket is $2 and the winner gets an iPod Touch. But we are still behind compared to last year.”
As of mid-week, more than $5,600 had been collected, including nearly $2,300 last weekend alone.
To drum up more support of the Benefit Ball some students even made two videos that have been posted on YouTube.
Kyle Skinner, the sophomore class treasurer, played a major role in the first “Dancing For Diana” YouTube video.
“Ana Naranjo and Jessica Romo came up with the idea from watching Alyssa Bautista dance as Gumby on the corner near Safeway,” he said.
When asked if he was surprised with the success of the video, Skinner said, “We are so surprised about how big it has gotten. We are also happy because it totally surprised us. We thought it was only going to be seen by SBHS students, but everyone has seen it.”
Skinner and other leadership and ASB students involved with “Dancing For Diana” were recognized on a local television station for the video on Jan. 28.
“We would go up to a person, tell them Diana’s story and ask them if they would dance for the video,” he said. “Most said yes, but one turned it down.”
When asked if more people have volunteered to help in response to the video Skinner said, “We have definitely been receiving more money, and more videos, but not necessarily more help. But the money really does help.”
Skinner said he posted the video as his status on Facebook and had other leadership students do the same. Skinner, along with leadership students and ASB, have posted a new video on YouTube, and continue to encourage SBHS students to donate money, to attend the Benefit Ball and keep dancing for Diana.
