The Girls’ Soccer Team and the Women of Color (WOC) Affinity Group collaborated to host a fundraiser for Breast Cancer Awareness which has garnered significant attention within the community. This collaborative fundraiser, a 7v7 Flag Football 8-Team Tournament, was announced the week of October 21 and sparked excitement and competitiveness throughout the community.
The tournament took place from October 29 to October 31 during lunch, with each game lasting 30 minutes and divided into two 15-minute halves. The two final teams remaining ended the tournament on October 31 in a final match or “Super Bowl.” Each team was required to have a minimum of seven players and could include up to 10 players for substitutes. The profits were earned by the $5 participation fee per player, to be donated to Inspiring Life Together, an organization funding breast cancer research and prevention efforts.
With the requirement of eight teams and a minimum of seven people per team, the fundraiser already had a confirmed $280 profit.
The “Super Bowl” occurred on October 31 during Upper School lunch alongside a fundraiser in which profits would also be donated to Inspiring Life Together, according to an email sent by Jade McRae ’26 to the Upper School Community on October 21.
Jade McRae ’26, a player on the Girls’ Soccer Team and co-leader of the WOC Affinity Group, shared her urgent excitement about brainstorming the event.
“We immediately wanted to do something for Breast Cancer Awareness Month because, while it affects women in general, women of color often tend to suffer the most,” McRae explained. “With the NFL season kicking off and everyone into Fantasy Football, we figured a flag football tournament would draw a lot of interest.”
She added that the turnout exceeded her expectations, claiming that she “knew people would want to participate because [MFS has] never done anything like this before and many people are very willing to support Breast Cancer Awareness causes.” However, McRae noted that she was still, “pretty surprised with not just the teams, but also the spectators who showed up.”
Makenna Wakahia ’26, the other co-leader of the WOC Affinity Group, said the idea emerged from a brainstorming session during their last meeting. “In our last affinity group meeting, we talked a lot about doing something for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which is in October,” Wakahia explained. “We wanted to bring awareness in a way that was fun, interactive, and would resonate with everyone.”
The Women of Color Affinity Group has been slowly gaining momentum since McRae and Wakahia relaunched it this year after two years of inactivity.
“We wanted to come out with a bang [after] Makenna and I brought back the WOC Affinity group,” McRae ’26 noted. “Now, people will know who we are and might consider participating or joining us for other events throughout the year.”
The tournament’s success was further highlighted by the enthusiasm of participants. One participant, Preston Galanis ’25 shared, “I thought this was a really creative way to host a fundraiser. With this tournament, we were able to be competitive and have something to look forward to during the stressful end of the quarter.”
Bodhi Vance-Harris ’26 added, “As a class officer, we’re always looking for creative and engaging ways to raise money that not only benefit the cause but also allow those giving their money to get the most out of it. This fundraiser was a great example of that.”
The tournament culminated in a win by the LaMont team.
