The Shawnee Girls volleyball team has donated more than $89,000 to “Dig Pink for a Cure,” a breast-cancer awareness effort.
The Shawnee High School girls volleyball team will hold its 16th annual “Dig Pink & Teal for a Cure” fundraising game against Seneca High School on Tuesday, Oct. 28.
The “Pink” in Dig Pink represents funding to support breast-cancer research, and the “Teal” represents ovarian cancer. Over the last 15 years, the volleyball team, through its own fundraising, has donated more than $89,000 to “Dig Pink for a Cure.”
The event is sponsored by the Side Out Foundation and the American Cancer Society and is a traditional part of the team’s season. Every year, staff and students purchase T-shirts to wear on the “Dig Pink and Teal” game day. Staff and students wear pink, while teal is reserved for the coaches and team.
During game day, all students and staff assemble in the Shawnee gymnasium for a large commemorative photo. This year, the team hopes to sell more than 1,000 shirts to support of its fundraising efforts.
Always humbled by the outpouring of support, team Coach Margaret Fanourgakis sends a heartfelt “thank you” to the “volleyball players, parents, student body and staff for their support in the thousands of dollars donated every year.”
“Dig Pink” at Shawnee High School was first held as a single event in 2009, raising $2,000 and far exceeding its initial goal of $500. The 2012 season saw a former Shawnee volleyball player diagnosed with ovarian cancer in her freshman year of college.
In her honor, the volleyball team again held a “Dig Pink” game to raise money and donate to ovarian cancer research. A tradition was born, and every year since, Shawnee plays against Seneca High School in the “Dig Pink and Teal” game.
This year’s game will be played at 5:30 p.m. in the Shawnee main gymnasium.
