Ms. Mary Ann Wasil. A mother of three. Diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004. She desired for her children to be educated about this disease, thus The Get in Touch Foundation was born. Foran hopes to continue to spread awareness with this foundation for years to come.
It is important that the people suffering with cancer get the support they need. Over the next four years, M. Wasil worked diligently and persevered to start The Get In Touch Foundation. Her goal was to educate women all over the globe to prevent future breast cancer cases.
Due to M. Wasil’s declining health, her daughter, Betsy Wasil, stepped in as acting president of the organization in 2016. Today, B. Wasil continues her dedication to The Get In Touch Foundation by serving as the Board Chair after her mother’s death, providing strategic direction and leadership and tirelessly promoting the mission and outreach.
Breast cancer is the disease of cells in breast tissue. Cancer starts when cells begin to grow out of control and the disease can spread into the blood or lymph system. This can affect the entire body system and can be life threatening.
According to the National Breast Cancer website, “breast cancer accounts for about 30 percent of all new cancer cases for females. For years, breast cancer has been a struggle for women nationally, communally, and locally.”
The Get in Touch Foundation representative Kelsey Robinette has been directly affected by this disease.
She states, “GIT’s message really resonated with me as I have a very strong family history of breast cancer. My grandma, mother, and two uncles have all had breast cancer.”
Having these close family ties to breast cancer motivates Robinette to urge the public to perform regular breast exams, as this could save many people’s lives. The amount of personal anecdotes The Get In Touch Foundation has received is always a great reminder that they are carrying on Mary Ann’s legacy.
The Foran Lions strive to keep the hopes and dreams of M.Wasil alive by hosting a Pink Out fundraiser football game each year. In the past, Foran has raised hundreds of dollars in support of The Get in Touch Foundation and hopes to continue fighting for the cause.
Junior Joey Gagliardi shares his personal experience with cancer stating, “My grandpa and my uncle were affected by cancer, so I know how important it is to support this cause. I like when the team shows support because it makes us better people and allows us to spread awareness.”
This year, the football team suits up to play against Woodstock Academy on Friday, October 13, and looks forward to playing for such a worthy organization. Head coach of the Foran football team Garrett Walker shares his support towards the foundation.
He states, “It gives us a chance to help a great cause. We are able to use our athletic platform to help spread awareness and show others that we stand behind them in support.”
