Cecilia Fink, a recent graduate of WAHS, has donated tens of thousands of dollars to local organizations, seen here Monday Nov. 22, 2021. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Family and friends have all described Cecilia Fink, freshman psychology major at University of Pittsburgh, a blessing and a motivated person who is driven to service.

In five years, Cecilia has raised more than $60,000 for various local children and organizations that help cancer patients, those who need heart transplants or others with health issues.

Pam Fink, Cecilia’s mom, credits a scary experience with Cecilia’s dad, Jason Fink, having to have an aortic dissection the week before Christmas one year. The kindness the Finks received in such a stressful time jump-started Cecilia’s drive to give back to others in similar situations.

“It really threw us for a loop,” Cecilia said. “There were so many people that came and helped us, brought us dinner and got us presents for Christmas. And while it may have not seemed like a big deal for them, it meant a lot to us.”

Her grandfather was also suffering and unfortunately passed due to cancer.

At her next birthday, Cecilia got her ears pierced and decided to start making earrings to sell at First Fridays to fundraise money for the very first recipient, Nolan McLaughlin.

She had heard of Nolan’s story, a one-year-old boy who needed a heart transplant, from her family and knew she had to help.

“Hearing that, I was just like, I know what that pain feels like and I can’t imagine having to go through that with their child,” Cecilia said.

“She was able to donate a little over $1,000 her first year,” Pam said.

From then, it grew into something much bigger — a “Pie Day 5K,” held each morning of Thanksgiving, which raised over $10,000 in its first year, over $18,000 in 2019 and over $16,000 in 2020 despite the pandemic.

“I couldn’t believe I was capable of doing that,” Cecilia added.

She has also donated funds to local kids Giovanni Hamilton and Declan Bower, as well as Ellie’s Heart Foundation, the Livestrong cancer program at the Williamsport YMCA and K’s for Cancer using the earning from the 5K and the earrings sold through her organization, Be You Boldly.

Rexford Hilton, who organized K’s for Cancer, has helped donate over $150,000 to 500 county families with the help of people like Cecilia. She currently has a junior board position on the organization’s board.

“She impressed me with her desire and motivation to help people,” Rex said. “Her dedication efforts are nothing short of amazing…all of the things you would want somebody to be.”

He added that the organization is “very fortunate and glad to have her help.”

“When you know Cecilia and work with her, you realize the next generation is in very good hands…one can come along next to pick up the drive and take care of people. It is not an easy task. She seems to have the energy, she is always smiling…she is going to have a great future,” he said.

“She has this gift, I will tell you, it is a gift,” Jason said. “She is very good at it and she understands the importance of involving other people. It makes me feel good that we have another generation that we know is going to be more involved and passionate.”

He added that Cecilia takes pride in making others feel like they are contributing to something bigger than a pair of earrings or participating in her annual 5K; that the money spent is going to impact someone’s life.

“She has had challenges she has faced and still reached (and exceeded) her goal,” Jason added. “When I sit back and think of that aspect, she had a chance to grow through all of this.”

Her original goal was to fundraise $50,000 by graduation from Williamsport Area High School. At the end of 2019, she already was very close and increased her goal to $60,000.

Cecilia was just short of that number when the pandemic began.

She worked closely with city officials to create a safety plan that would allow the traditional Pie Day 5K to carry on, and she reached and exceeded her goal in 2020. Though her 5K is now being organized by the Chamber of Commerce, Cecilia is still able to provide $2,000 to both the Livestrong program and K’s for Cancer.

“It is awesome to see the kind of help she has given people,” said Lydia Fink, Cecilia’s older sister. “I am extremely proud of her, she is fantastic. She is going to continue to do great things.”

“I am super proud of what she does and who she is,” Pam said. “It is just so cool to watch her develop into her own confident, awesome being.”

Though Cecilia has moved her journey to Pittsburgh, her passion for helping people has never left.

She works with the Movement Exchange program to teach dance to Pittsburgh kids who may be living in lower economic situations, and will travel to Panama in the spring to teach dance to children living in orphanages there.

She also hopes to move her Be You Boldly earring sales to an online format so she can make her earrings and fundraise for charity wherever she goes.

In the future, she hopes to become a child play therapist with her degree in psychology.

“When you think about giving back to others, it does not have to be something big,” Cecilia said. “The small things really make a difference.”

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