Pink hair is the latest trend across the Ocean City School District, but it’s more than just a fashionable style.
Instead, the pink hair extensions are meant to raise breast cancer awareness and honor Mikenzie Helfenstein, a multi-sport coach and beloved teacher who passed away from breast cancer two years ago. The purpose is to raise awareness of breast cancer and funds for the Cancer Support Community of New Jersey (CSC NJ).
“I’m so happy that my daughter is still having such an impact today, even though she’s not physically here,” said Jane Custer, Helfenstein’s mother. “That doesn’t surprise me. Knowing what kind of person she is, she was a force to be reckoned with.”
Helfenstein was known for his grit, courage, determination, and motto, “Until you can’t.”
She battled a long and courageous battle with breast cancer and began her pink-haired fundraising career within the Ocean City High School field hockey team as a coach more than 15 years ago. Funds raised were donated to CSC NJ (formerly known as Gilda’s Club), a nonprofit organization that provides free social and emotional support to people affected by cancer in all capacities.
A check containing this year’s Pink Hair fundraising total will be presented to CSC New Jersey at the Ocean City vs. Atlantic City field hockey game on Monday, October 21st. The game is scheduled to begin at 3:45 p.m. at Ocean City High School’s Carey Stadium. The check presentation ceremony will be held at halftime. Everyone is welcome to participate, so please wear pink clothing.
“I think people want to be involved in something bigger than themselves, and I honestly think this accomplishes that,” Custer said of the fundraiser. “The range of people this fundraiser has touched has spread so far. We’ll never know who it is, but that’s okay.”
Jordyn Levchuk, the 10-year-old daughter of City Councilwoman Jody Levchuk, shows off her pink hair dyed at Ocean City Middle School for the Pink Hair Campaign, a cancer awareness campaign.
Four years ago, several of Ms. Helfenstein’s closest friends decided to revive the Pink Hair Movement to honor her courage and dedication as an outstanding teacher and coach while battling cancer.
“While she was sick and undergoing chemotherapy, she fought, never complained, and coached and mentored them as if nothing was wrong,” said Mr. Helfenstein, a dear friend. , said Jen Dwyer, leader of the Pink Hair fundraiser. “She was tough as nails. We asked Mikenzie about pink hair and she said she would be happy to do it as a fundraiser for Gilda’s Club.”
Ms. Helfenstein’s friends, family, athletes she coached, the Ocean City High School Key Club, and other volunteers set up tables at lunch breaks, sports games, and other school events to donate pink hair extensions for $10. We sell and install.
Many students choose to donate by dying their hair pink, and this trend also leads to many donations that do not involve physical participation.
Dwyer said that after the field hockey team’s first two seasons of fundraising through pink hair extensions, other teams and students in the district started taking notice, and the number of donations increased dramatically.
Custer said the OCHS field hockey team will raise hundreds of dollars for the organization in the first two years. She was overwhelmed when she heard last year’s donation was more than $5,000.
“It’s been an incredible outpouring of support,” Custer said. “The first year I got my pink hair back I probably made $500, and last year I made over $5,000.”
Dwyer said this year’s fundraising total has already exceeded last year’s total.
OCNJ’s Advance Against Breast Cancer Walk on October 13th was another fundraising event in Ocean City to raise cancer awareness.
Mr. Custer said Mr. Helfenstein would like the funds raised to be donated to CSC NJ, a nonprofit organization that provides some form of psychiatric, social and emotional support to people suffering from cancer, completely free of charge. He said that he feels strongly.
At its location at 700 New Road in Lynwood, the organization offers in-person educational programs and activities that promote a healthy lifestyle, including yoga, meditation and tai chi. CSC NJ also offers virtual support for people throughout New Jersey.
Erin McAllister, program director for New Jersey CSC, said the fundraiser was aimed at supporting Oceans, where the nonprofit had a physical presence before the COVID-19 pandemic but has since lost its funding. He said his goal is to raise enough money to bring nonprofits back to City Schools. .
“We’re asking the Ocean City community to help us with this because ultimately we’re going to be providing that service in schools, even elementary schools,” McAllister said.
He noted that CSC NJ held six events at each school last year and at least 38 events are scheduled for this year.
“We know it’s a possibility and we want to get it back,” McAllister said. “It’s much easier to go to the students than expect them to come here.”
Erin McAllister of the New Jersey Cancer Support Community will speak to the City Council on October 10th about the Pink Hair Movement fundraising campaign.
