Winsor Hill goes purple for pancreatic cancer awareness

PURPLE PEOPLE: Spirits were running high last Thursday in Donna Gadjowski’s fifth grade classroom at Winsor Hill Elementary School where Purple Day featured students dressed in different garb as they made purple hearts and other decorations.

THUMBS UP! The boys in Donna Gadjowski’s fifth grade class offer a “thumbs up” as their rating for the decorations and special participation in Purple Day to raise awareness to pancreatic cancer.

HAVE HOPE: Donna Gadjowski’s fifth grade class participated in Purple Day, including Kianna Marfeo, Sianna Molina, Haley Boudreau, Nathan Della Morte, Cameron Veitch and Jason Schino. (Sun Rise photos by Pete Fontaine)

Posted Friday, November 23, 2018 12:16 pm

By Pete Fontaine

They colored it purple last Thursday at Winsor Hill Elementary School.

For starters, Purple Day held a two-fold purpose, first to draw awareness throughout the school about pancreatic cancer and second to add yet another color to the “Have Heart Wall” located in the Winsor Hill gymnasium that, once completed, will help educate students, staff and faculty about other such deadly diseases.

Purple Day was a tribute as well as a memorial for Winsor Hill PTO President Gina Schino’s late father who passed away after losing a battle with pancreatic cancer.

“Our pancreatic cancer awareness program has turned into a district wide campaign in all Johnston schools thanks to Gina,” said Susan Parillo, Winsor Hill’s health and physical education teacher. “It’s an education for everyone and we all have to thank Gina for organizing this now valuable and important program.”

Parillo explained that schools have a “Dress Down Day” with a donation going to the PanCan organization. She noted that Winsor Hill sells purple hearts for its fund-raiser while other Johnston public schools also participate in the annual program.

Although several schools still need to hold their events, those schools that have participated have taken in upwards of $1,000 for the fight against pancreatic cancer.

“On November 15, people around the world united to demand better in the fight against the world’s toughest cancers,” Parillo said. “The World Pancreatic Cancer Coalition has brought together more than 70 organizations from 30 countries and six continents to raise awareness and inspire action on World Pancreatic Cancer Day.”

Winsor Hill joined in the coalition and last week’s “Purple Day” was the third in as many years.

“There was a special and satisfying look of purple throughout our school,” Parillo said. “It seemed as though everyone had some sort of purple in their day’s dress code and students learned about empathy and compassion and made a chain link with message to fight, have hope, courage and strength.”

Jason Schino, Gina Schino’s son who is in the fifth grade at Winsor Hill, donated purple bead necklaces to the students in memory of his grandfather and even the school’s principal Michele Zarcaro and clerk Donna Pingitore were decked out in purple garb.

“There’s purple everywhere,” a visitor to the school who was waiting for a meeting with a teacher said. “The doors to the classrooms are decorated in purple, the decorations are impressive.”