Faculty Comes Together to Support Teacher with Breast Cancer
February 13, 2018
On Tuesday, over 40 staff members gathered in the Commons in matching pink shirts to show support for Tony Pottorff, a teacher with the Social Studies Department who has been battling breast cancer.
The shirts, purchased through a fundraiser that began at Pottorff’s church, were sold to help cover the numerous medical bills that Pottorff and his family have encountered since the teacher was diagnosed. They read “Tony’s fight is my fight” and serve as a visual reminder of the staff’s support.
Michelle Burnett was one of the first faculty members to get one of these shirts and believes that the shirts, alongside the gathering Tuesday, are great ways to show support for Pottorff and his family.
“Everybody needs encouragement, but he’s in the really tough part of his treatment right now,” Burnett said, “It’s one thing for him to know that everybody cares about him, but when you see it I think it makes more of an impact, and it’s just a reminder of how many people care about him.”
Tyler Davis, one of the teachers that attended the gathering to support his friend and coworker, emphasizes that this is not only to support Pottorff, but to bring attention to the fact that breast cancer is not a female-only issue.
“It’s important to get information out about male breast cancer, something not many people know about. They think it can only be a female issue,” Davis said.
Although the shirts have been worn around school for a couple months, the gathering that took place Tuesday was a surprise.
“I had absolutely no idea,” Pottorff said. He also sees this a prime example of the nature of the East community.
“It’s really great to see this come together, I can’t think of a better place to be.”
