For the third year in a row, Cranston High School West coordinated with Cranston High School East for a “Pink Out” day to benefit breast cancer awareness.

“Although this is the third year we’ve worked with East, this year has a significant meaning for our school,” said faculty member Deana Barlow.

Barlow is referring to the diagnosis this past fall of one of their own, faculty member Gina Bailey, a math teacher at West.

“I was diagnosed in the fall, and I came back in January,” said Bailey. “I feel great.”

Each May, the school hosts the “Pink Out” as just one of their many community service projects. For the second year in a row, shirts were ordered and participants had the option of purchasing a shirt to wear that day, or could wear anything pink to participate.

In addition to coordinating with Cranston East, the fundraiser was also extended to the school administration at the Briggs Building, adjacent to East and to the staff at NBC hair salon in Cranston as well.

“This is really a concerted effort between the two high schools, a very unified effort,” said West Principal Tom Barbieri.

Both Barlow and Barbieri agree that community service and outreach is an important part of what Cranston West does during the school year.

“We’ve raised over $7,000 this year alone,” said Barlow. “The Pink Out raised $425 for the Susan G. Komen Foundation.”

Additionally, the school has raised $200 for Kids, Cops and Classrooms in collaboration with the Cranston School Department, $200 for Special Olympics, $200 for the Boys’ Lacrosse Team, $316 for the MS Society, totaling $1,341 for May alone and $8,647.31 this school year to date.