By Chatham Kennedy
Dig Pink!
When the first crisp Mississippi morning arrives, and one has to debate whether or not to put on a light sweater, it will be obvious that October has arrived. In addition to the cool air, one will see an endless array of pink. Dark pink, bright pink, baby pink, and hot pink will flood the stands of numerous athletic events supporting breast cancer awareness.
This fall, Bergen Teeter, a senior at St. Joseph Catholic School, and Madelyn Abbott, a senior at Ridgeland High School, are acting as ambassadors for The Side-Out Foundation, a non-profit based in Washington D.C. that aims to raise billions to find a cure for stage IV breast cancer, which is the least funded and researched stage.
As ambassadors, the twosome will host a Dig Pink volleyball tournament. On October 4, the Middle School, Junior Varsity, and Varsity teams of St. Joe, will compete at home against Ridgeland High School’s teams beginning at 4:30 p.m. In addition, the teams will have honorary captains that are breast cancer survivors.
Teeter presented the idea of doing Mississippi’s first Dig Pink fundraiser to Abbot. “We wear to pink to games in October but never actually do anything about it,” says Teeter. The 17-year-old desperately wanted to make a difference in the lives of those affected by breast cancer after she lost her grandmother to this disease.
Both Ridgeland High School and St. Joe have a “raising funds for Dig Pink Rally” account.
To raise additional proceeds, Ridgeland High School will be hosting a water balloon raffle. Students will have the opportunity to pay three dollars for their name to be placed in a drawing. The fifteen winners will test their aim as they throw water balloons at faculty members. The school’s principal will be in a separate five-dollar raffle drawing. In addition, the 35-member volleyball team has been asked to collect donations of ten dollars from ten different people. The girls are looking forward to an exciting fundraiser.
With over 300,000 new cases of breast cancer arising each year, everyone seems to know someone who has been affected by this disease.
Make a difference this October and come out to support Dig Pink!
