For some of our campuses, the opportunity exists to join together with other local Ross Medical Education Center locations to increase the positive impact on the surrounding communities. For our Ross campus in Kalamazoo, Michigan and our other Ross campus in Portage, Michigan, a joint event is something to look forward to. The Kalamazoo campus is one of the newest to join the Ross family, and their staff, faculty, and students are so thankful to those at the Portage campus for coming together with them to make a difference.
In an effort to join the move to raise awareness for breast cancer during October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Kalamazoo and Portage Ross campuses rallied together on a Saturday to make a real difference. In fact, due to their consistent dedication to their communities, these two Ross campuses were asked by the Kalamazoo Making Strides committee of the American Cancer Society to lead the local Breast Cancer Awareness walk this year.
Their sense of responsibility and profound commitment to breast cancer awareness and serving their community made this event even more meaningful this year for the staff, faculty, and students at both Ross campuses. It was made even more important for specific students and staff that have been impacted by the effects of breast cancer. In fact, the mother of Jessica Redford, a student in the Medical Assistant program, is currently undergoing chemotherapy for stage 4 breast cancer.
This inspired staff, faculty, students, and their families to show up to support women like Jessica’s mother Michelle as well as the many others that are currently fighting this disease. The event included music, dancing, cheerleaders, a photo booth, and many other fun activities. “It was very touching to see the camaraderie between the two campuses and to see Jessica and her mother complete the entire walk together,” shared Tanisha Gonzalez, Ross Office Assistant.