Athletics department promotes breast cancer awareness
By Michal Tellos
Sports Editor
November 19, 2008
 Although October was breast cancer awareness month in North America, Nov. 15 was breast cancer awareness day for the athletics department at the University of Windsor, and it was a huge success.
November 15 was specifically selected because it had the basketball team playing, but it also featured many of the other Lancers teams on the home schedule as well. It was an opportune time to get everyone involved.
The event was started by the Lancers women’s basketball team last year. The athletics department was inspired by the cause and decided to expand the event across the varsity gamut. Word got out, and the endeavour received tremendous support all across the department.
On Saturday, Lancer hockey hosted “pink at the rink” in support of breast cancer research, while volleyball, hosting “dig pink,” held a similar event. The main draw was still at basketball, where the teams hosted Windsor’s “hoops for a cure.”
All court sports warmed up in pink apparel, while the hockey team played with pink tape and wore pink laces throughout the game.
Pink Lancers t-shirts were being sold for $8 at each game, and pink cotton candy was sold for $2 as well. The stands were overflowing with pink-clad staff and fans showing their support.
The event was a huge success, and it was highlighted by a ceremony at half-time of the men’s basketball game in which the Investors Group, a Lancers sponsor, donated $1,500 to the cause.
Director of Athletics, Gord Grace, is very pleased with how the event unfolded.
“It was nice to make a contribution, and the Investors Group was a big supporter of this evening, so I think we’re pretty happy with how it turned out,” he said.
He also added that although raising money is crucial, it’s not the most important thing.
“It’s not so much numerical value as it is awareness and just showing our support.”
According to the World Health Organization, breast cancer took a staggering 502,000 lives in 2005 – over seven per cent of all cancer related deaths, and nearly one per cent of all deaths worldwide.
Awareness is particularly important regarding breast cancer, which often causes great damage because it goes unnoticed. If found in early stages, breast cancer is treatable, and hopes should be high.
Women’s Lancers basketball Head Coach Chantal Vallee is also thrilled with the growth of the event.
“It’s absolutely fantastic. I think what the department of athletics did – to play games in hockey and in volleyball too – that’s absolutely phenomenal. I think it’s a great job. We’ve always been participants in funding and fundraising in this and run for the cure, so to add all of this to the basketball and the other teams – kudos to the athletics department,” she said.
With the event being as big as it is, Grace didn’t rule out going bigger next year, joking that a catchy name would have to be made up for track and field.
“I guess we could do something involving track, we just have to come up with some sort of catchy name. But I think the other teams supported this even though they weren’t here, a number of them bought t-shirts. Who knows, maybe we could go bigger next year,” he said.
To donate to this worthy cause, please visit cancer.ca or breastcancer.org.
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