Athletic teams host ‘Pink Games’
During the month of October, six University of Indianapolis athletics teams raised money for cancer research.
Volleyball, men’s and women’s soccer and men’s and women’s swimming and diving all held games called “pink games” to raise money for breast cancer research. Football also had a “Light the Night” game to raise money for both breast and ovarian cancer research.
According to Director of Athletics Sue Willey, the pink games are very important to the athletics department.
“It’s a great cause. Obviously, cancer is a significant disease that runs across the gambit of men [and] women, so any time we have a disease that there is no cure for, at least currently, you want to raise funds to try to find the cure,” Willey said. “Also, to bring the issue [of cancer] to light.”
During football’s “Light the Night” game, a check for $1,000 was presented to the Susan G. Komen foundation. Another $1,000 check was donated to ovarian cancer research.
The women’s soccer team auctioned their game-worn, autographed jerseys to raise funds. Every jersey sold, raising a total of $955, said the team’s Head Coach Kiley Cirillo.
The money raised by the women’s soccer team was donated to an athletic family member.
The men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams sold t-shirts while the volleyball team held a bake sale on Oct. 28 to raise funds.
The men’s soccer team raised around $800 through donation cans at the gates and at the concession stands during their final home games.
Though only volleyball, football, and men’s and women’s soccer and men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams held fundraising pink games in October, they are not the only teams that have pink games. The women’s basketball team usually holds a pink game in their winter season, and softball in the spring, according to Willey.
“I think that’s [having pink games] a part of our ‘Education for Service,’” Willey said. “A giving-back mentality is definitely part of the UIndy mantra.”
Willey believes that having pink games will not only benefit the people and organizations receiving the money, but also the student-athletes who work to raise the money.
“Kids nowadays, let alone student-athletes, tend to seem to be pretty privileged, so I think it really helps us stay grounded, and be humbled, in student-athletes have the able-bodies that they have to compete while others are suffering,” Willey said. “[It’s] just a way for our kids to realize how fortunate they are and to help do something good to assist those less fortunate, or those who are in need.”
Women’s soccer head coach Kiley Cirillo also said that giving back to the community is important.
“[It’s important] to give back to the community what they give to us,” Cirillo said. “The community does a lot for private universities.”
Willey said she is pleased with the student-athletes and coaches for trying to help the community.
“[I’m]proud of the fact that our student-athletes, [though] they lead busy lives, they still take the time to try to benefit society,” Willey said. “[I’m] proud that our coaches and our student-athletes want to step up and try to assist them [people affected by cancer and cancer research organizations] in whatever way they can.”
