Teen is Driven by a Desire to Give Back

Teenagers don’t always have the best reputation when it comes to thinking about others and giving back to the community.

Then there’s Courtney Durbin. The 17-year-old student and Key Club president knows a thing or two about pitching in to help a cause.

Durbin and members of the Key Club are responsible for spearheading the school’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month effort. Dubbed “Pink Out Day,” the event, which takes place today, Oct. 14, is designed to raise awareness about the disease and cash for the American Cancer Society.

Durbin’s reasons for wanting to start Pink Out Day observances are personal. Her mother, Kay, was diagnosed with breast cancer when Courtney and her twin sister Meghan were eighth-graders at .

“It definitely forced me to grow up really fast,” Courtney said. “(My sister), my dad (Steve) and I had to be caretakers with my mom.”

While her mother was sick, Courtney said, her family learned to pitch in, help out and work together to get through. Kay is now doing well, she added.

“We don’t really call it remission, but ‘all clear,' " Courtney said. Kay’s had the “all clear” for about a year and a half.

Kay Durbin’s battle against cancer has opened her daughter’s eyes to peoples' real needs. That’s why Courtney said she thought starting Pink Out Day last year was a good idea.

“This is so that we can show the selfishness of the teenagers at our school and prove that we, too, want to show our support to the battling, fallen, and survivors,” Courtney said.

During Pink Out Day students wear pink and take part in fundraisers. Pink bracelets, bandanas and other items go up for sale. Well in advance of the day, students had raised several hundred dollars.

“I definitely appreciate all the support,” Courtney said. “It shows people actually do care about the cause.”

Maura Craig, the Sunlake Key Club adviser, said students in the group and throughout the school have been inspired by Courtney and Meghan’s story and others that have since come to light.

“This event is close to their hearts as their mother has been battling cancer, and they know the support that is needed for anyone fighting the disease,” she said. “This cause has become a focal point for Key Club and many organizations on campus as the Durbins are not the only ones that are affected by cancer.”

Pink Out Day events will conclude at tonight’s home football game. Bracelets and other items will be on sale during the game.

Courtney said she’s overwhelmed with the support the school has shown, but says the hero of this story is her mother.

“She’s definitely the strongest person I know,” she said.

To help out with Pink Out Day fundraising, stop by tonight’s game. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m.