An Ace for the Cure

Fatima Yataco, Business Manager

November 1, 2013

Scoring multiple points for the Downey team, Kimberly Schnars, 11, takes part in the fourth annual Dig Pink volleyball game in the Downey High School gym. “I feel honored to be in the presence of breast cancer survivors and I know that when I leave, I made a difference,” Schnars said.

Cross-town rivals the Warren Bears and the Lady Vikes came together on Thursday, Oct. 24, at 6 p.m., in Downey’s gym; not only did the girls play volleyball but they also celebrated life at the annual Dig Pink game.

The gym was filled with pink shirts, enthusiastic fans, and supporters of Breast Cancer awareness. The night kicked off with Dawn Rentrop, a representative from West Coast Liaison and a breast cancer survivor, congratulating Downey High School for being the number one school in the nation to raise money for breast cancer awareness.

“You’ve got two heated rivals that are coming together for such an important cause,” Rentrop said. “What these two schools are doing is just awesome.”

Immediately following Rentrop’s brief speech and slideshow of last year’s fundraiser, the game began. The rivalry was present on the court and among the audience at all times. Both teams were fighting for the win and constantly had scores that were close together. Both schools grew wild when their team was a couple points away from taking the lead.

By game two, the Lady Vikes were leading the way by having won both sets; game one’s score was 25-23 and game two was 25-21. After game two, there was a five-minute interval in which ten breast cancer survivors were honored. Some of these survivors were either related to DHS students or alumni. Each survivor was called to the middle of the court and given roses to congratulate them for winning their battle.

“For some of them, it’s scary to come out in a crowd that’s so big and knowing that they are willing to do that is just priceless,” Coach Sims said. “That’s why we do the whole thing.”

The final score of game three was 24-18, giving DHS the win. It made the home side roar in approval of the final score.

“It’s not all about volleyball tonight, it’s about bringing the community together to congratulate them and just celebrate the survivors,” Kimberly Schnars said.

The night’s primary focus was not just volleyball, but it was also on breast cancer awareness. Both schools put their differences aside and came together for the cause.

About the Contributors

Fatima Yataco, Business Manager

Peruvian born, senior, Fatima Yataco, is the newest addition to The Downey Legend business team and hopes to make the online newspaper well known throughout the school. “I want the staff’s hard work to be recognized more than ever,” Yataco said. “It will make us much more motivated if we know that we have an eager audience to whom we’re writing for.” One of the reasons why she choose to be a part of the online newspaper team is because it provides an opportunity to see someone else’s passion through their eyes, which she loves. Being the youngest of her siblings, she is inspired by her older sister and all that she has overcome. Her sister was only 17 when she moved to America and English was not her native language; however, she still graduated with honors from CSULB. Yataco’s sister proved to her that anything is possible if you strive for it. Even though she has not set her mind on a specific major, she plans to move to the east coast because of all the cultures congregated into one place, and simply enjoy life. Balancing AP classes, online newspaper, being the fundraising committee chair on KIWIN’S, and starting up a new club, Yataco still finds time for herself. One can find her at Starbucks catching up on a good book, hearing music to help inspire her inner writer or hanging out with friends at school football games. Although she doesn’t plan to settle down right away and have a family, she plans to travel around the world to places such as India because of their beautiful colors and culture first. No matter where she goes, her motivation shines through. Fatima is an easy-going gal, full of good vibes. She lives day by day and tells herself her favorite quote: “Keep moving forward.”

Mayra Castro, Photographer

Current photographer for The Downey Legend, Mayra Castro, approaches her senior year with optimism and hopes to makes her final year memorable by never missing an opportunity to hang out with friends, while still managing her academics. Castro describes photography as her favorite art medium and, although her passion is fairly new, she is eager to gain more experience by practicing alongside the other Online Newspaper photographers. The senior decided to join the staff because she wanted a place where she could showcase her work while working with other passionate and goal oriented students. She is also considering a future in photojournalism and hopes to familiarize herself with the publication process. Castro’s main goal for the future is to be the first in her family to go to college. The aspiring photographer feels that a college degree is a necessary component to be successful in today’s economy. When she is enrolled in school, Castro hopes to major in photojournalism and eventually have her images published in a popular magazine where thousands of people can appreciate her work. In her personal life, Castro describes herself as a simple girl with simple tastes. She appreciates the small things in life like listening to music or simply hanging out with friends at the local mall. She looks at each day from a relaxed and optimistic perspective. “The most important part of my life is being happy,” Castro said. “That's all that matters.”