Struthers students support family’s cancer fight

Struthers students support family’s cancer fight

STRUTHERS

Students at Struthers High School surprised 17-year-old Sam Macklen, a junior there, with an outpouring of support for him and his brother, 22-year-old Dean Macklen, who has been battling an unknown cancer for the past two months.

About 100 students and staff — most donning T-shirts emblazoned with an abbreviated form of “Stand Up To Cancer For Dean,” along with his hockey number and last name — gathered in the high school’s lobby on Friday morning. They greeted Sam with applause, hugs and a few tears.

Sam said he was, quite simply, shocked.

“It’s nice to know that Struthers is a big family, and that everybody has our backs,” he said. “It just shows how strong our community is, and how kind-hearted people really are.”

Noah Linnen and Austin Yemma, both juniors, organized the T-shirt fundraiser and event over the past two weeks.