Echo High School has accepted the Nixyáawii Community School’s challenge to raise the most money to help battle cancer.

Aaron Noisey, Nixyáawii athletic director and counselor, issued the challenge and brought it to the attention of Jake Bacon, Echo High School, athletic director.

“He wanted to see if we wanted to do a challenge between the two schools,” Bacon said.

The winner of the challenge will be announced at the team’s meeting on Friday, Jan. 30, in Mission during half-time of the varsity boys basketball game.

The winning school will see its athletic director kiss a pig during half-time.

Bacon agreed, so the school has started fundraising and is spreading the word through services donated by the community.

“Hermiston Office Max donated the paper for fliers and were selling pink shirts by donation from Syngenta,” he said.

People wanting to buy shirts can pay as little as 25 cents or as much as $50 and get a shirt from the school.

Nixyaawii is donating its ticket sales to the challenge.

Bacon said this is the first time Echo has participated in this type of challenge. He is pleasantly surprised by the support.

“We’ve received donations from Power Pro and Corporation, Blue Mountain Creations and the Echo Kiwanis Club,” Bacon said.

The school’s students also have gotten in the act, bringing in change from can and bottle returns and asking for donations during the home basketball games.

“Through outside donations we have $300 and our goal is $1,000,” Bacon said, adding the $300 doesn’t include the coin drive.

Bacon thinks Echo has a good chance of reaching its $1,000 goal, which is one of three the school had set for itself.

“Our third goal is to have everyone come to the game in pink and have cancer survivors come onto the floor and light candles,” Bacon said.

The other goal was to have the T-shirts donated, which has occurred.

If the challenge is successful, Bacon said he and Noisey would like to do similar challenges annually.

“We might also want to move it to a larger venue, but that’s in the future,” he said.

Bacon said he has received many e-mails saying thank you from the community and local area the school’s efforts in the fight against cancer.

Rob Waite, Echo School District superintendent, said the feeling is mutual.

“I applaud both Mr. Bacon and Nixyaawii for putting this on, ,” he said. “It should be a fun evening.”