Staff Writer

Seven Scarborough High School girls are taking a stance on finding a cure for cancer as they perform in honor of cancer patients and awareness of the disease Saturday night. 

The girls will sing, dance and share personal stories and information about cancer at 7 p.m. Saturday in Scarborough High School’s Winslow Homer Auditorium. Admission to the show is by donation, and with a goal of raising $2,500, the girls will send the money they collect to the Stand Up to Cancer Foundation. 

The foundation is an initiative created by the Entertainment Industry Foundation to raise money and awareness for cancer research. Partnering with the American Association for Cancer Research, 70 percent of donations fund groups of multidisciplinary scientists conducting research, 20 percent funds innovative research proposals and 10 percent is kept to sustain the initiative. 

Teal Dibiase, 17, was inspired to collaborate with friends and create a local performance after seeing the television special that aired Sept. 5, 2008 on ABC, NBC and CBS stations simultaneously. The show featured 50 renowned film, television, sports and musical talents and a special single “Just Stand Up,” sung by musical artists Mariah Carey, Beyoncé, Mary J. Blige, Rihanna, Fergie, Sheryl Crow, Miley Cyrus, Melissa Etheridge, Ashanti, Natasha Bedingfield, Keyshia Cole, Ciara, Leona Lewis, LeAnn Rimes and Carrie Underwood.

“I saw the song performed on ABC, and it inspired me to make a change and find a cure,” Dibiase said. 

Using the song as her starting point, Dibiase recruited Kayla Cobb, 16, Lizz Starbird, 16, Sasha Kennedy, 18, Zoe Rice, 18, Natalie Pauwels, 16, and Mariah Volk, 14. Originally hoping to recruit 14 students to participate in the show, Dibiase said choreographing for seven is plenty of work. 

Some of the girls were familiar with dancing or singing, but for most this is an on-stage debut. Scarborough High School Librarian Joyce Wheeler jumped on board as their faculty advisor, helping the group spend many hours rehearsing and fix any kinks in the show. 

The girls will perform “Just Stand Up,” replacing the likes of Beyoncé and Fergie with their own vocals and flair. They’ve choreographed a dance to “Return to Innocence” by Enigma and worked together to create a routine similar to “Stomp,” making rhythmic sounds through steps and clapping.

In addition to the girls’ acts, guest performer Rachel Friedman, 12, will sing and then do a tap number with Cheryl Greeley Theatra-Dance classmates Stephanie Stewart and Heidi Bogdanovich, both Scarborough High School students. Friedman, Stewart and Bogdanovich will perform “Three Friends,” a tap number they will repeat Sunday during Perform for a Cure in South Portland. 

Aside from all the singing and dancing, the group will present video footage on why they want to help raise funds for cancer research and a slideshow of local cancer resources, including information about the South Portland Cancer Community Center. They will also introduce three guest speakers, Scarborough High School student Mark Endrizzi, Scarborough Middle School teacher Doug Bennett and author Meg Wolff.

“All three are cancer survivors,” Wheeler said. “Meg is a two time survivor of breast and bone cancer.”

“We wanted people who have experienced cancer to tell people what they’re going through,” Pauwels said. 

Students at Scarborough High School have hosted and participated in Relay for Life, a 24-hour relay walk to raise money for cancer research, but Wheeler said this performance is the first of its kind.

“The girls pretty much knew what they wanted,” Wheeler said. “I’m just helping them to tweak the show, and it’s really coming together.”

“Just Stand Up to Cancer” performance starts at 7 p.m. Saturday, March 14 at Scarborough High School’s Winslow Homer Auditorium. Donations will be accepted at the door.