The month of October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the cheer team is already preparing to make a difference by competing for the seventh year in Race for the Cure Austin.

Race for the Cure is a race that was started by Susan G. Komen Austin which raises funds for breast cancer research. The race will take place this Sunday on Sept. 30, and warm up will begin at 7 a.m. at the Austin American Statesman.

“I’m encouraging my friends to come and already have people coming with me, so I think it will be a super special experience,” senior cheerleader Carlie Dill said. “We just want as much attendance as possible.”

The cheer team has been one of the top fundraising teams by selling shirts and encouraging students and teachers to help out with the event.

“Everyone will be out there and we encourage others to go,” Dill said. “ I know I love being out there trying to make a difference.”

 This year, the team is hoping to raise $5,000 or more by selling different shirts for football games throughout each week and also from donations. Last year’s team consisted of 51 runners, and coach Nadira King said she hopes to reach that number again.

“It’s good to expose everyone to what the event can mean for someone,” King said. “You see people walking who have cancer and you see the effects of it so it’s really meaningful to be exposed to that early on.”

The team began participating in the race after a former cheerleader’s mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. Since then, the team has continued to compete and raise money for family members and others fighting cancer.

“Being apart of race for the cure means so much to me and the team because we all know people who have faced breast cancer, including my grandmother,” Dill said.

For more information on this Sunday’s Race for the Cure, click here.