On Friday, February 28th, after months of auditioning, rehearsing, and preparing, Huntington High School’s annual K-Factor was in a fully packed auditorium. As always, raffles and brilliant performances from the members of the student body made for a night of fun for all those in attendance. Most importantly, though, proceeds from the K-Factor went directly to Rachel’s Dance for the Cure in honor of Rachel Antorino and the fight against pediatric cancer.

This year marked the ninth annual event sponsored by the Huntington High School Key Club. It was first initiated to raise funds for Kaila Harlan, an alum of the Class of 2009, who was diagnosed with leukemia while in college. Since then, proceeds for the show have gone to members in the Huntington community who needed it most, raising thousands of dollars through tickets, refreshments, and raffles.

Los Tres Amigos, consisting of juniors Ryan Aguirre, Lily O’Heir, and Jorge Parada Cisneros took home third place for their lively dance to a medley of songs, while sophomore Ashley Genao and freshman Isabella Lanfranco took home second and first place honors, respectively, for their amazing vocal performance. However, as was expressed by MC Mr. Mike Schwendemann, everybody who performed was truly a winner.

Events like K-Factor are truly representative of the Huntington spirit, and it goes to show how a community can band together for a single cause. We’ve seen it not only here but for Eli’s March Madness in honor of local hero Eli Mollineaux, and various fundraisers that are set up during the school year to help students and staff members in need. Towards the end of the night, Mr. Schwendemann once again reminded the crowd what they were there for, shedding light on past members of the Huntington community who had lost the battle to cancer, including Mr. Alan Kuver and Mr. Mickey Baron.

It is hoped that amazing events like the K-Factor continue to make an impact and raise money for cancer research, until the day when there is no longer a need for them.