For the third year in a row, the Staples football team will be donning pink and “playing for the cure” in the Get Your Pink On football game vs Trumbull on Oct. 19. For the week leading up to the game, volunteer parents from the football team as well as the players themselves have been selling pink logo wear with this year’s slogan “Defy, Wreck, Cure”. The shirts are a hit among the students and fans alike, but what some may not know is that by simply purchasing a shirt, a person is doing great good.
All of the shirts were given to the team via an anonymous donation, so this year 100 percent of the proceeds made via the shirts will be donated directly to PinkAid, rather than only a fraction of the proceeds as has been the case in years past.
“I’ve definitely noticed an increase in sales and spirit this year,” said Tammy Zelkowitz, who has been organizing the event for the past three years. “I’m looking forward to the excitement of the event and the fact that it keeps growing. It brings the community together.”
PinkAid, a local non-profit organization founded by Andrew Mitchell of Westport, uses the donated funds to support services which help insure women who are uninsured or under insured. Each year, PinkAid donates to several grant recipients. This year’s grant recipients are St. Vincent’s Swim Across the Sound, and The Norwalk Hospital Smilow Family Breast Cancer Health Center.
In addition to the proceeds collected from selling pink shirts, hats, and other logo wear, the Staples cheerleading team will also be donating the funds from their bake sale. Last year, the Get Your Pink On game raised a total of $6,000 and the game was one of the most widely attended games of the season. The team hopes to exceed their earnings from last year as well as gain even more fans.
“Playing for a cause is great,” said quad-captain Nick Kelly ’13, “I also love seeing the turn out for the Play for the Cure Game.”
Oct. 19 is not only the last night game of the regular season, it is also a night dedicated to a great cause. Throughout the school year, the Staples Superfans participate in white outs at big sports games. On Oct. 19, fans are encouraged to participate in the “Pink Out” by wearing as much pink as possible rather than the white out for other football games. The football team will be wearing pink Receiving Gloves to participate in the Pink Out.
The football team is only one of the many teams to “Get Their Pink On” this week. The boy’s soccer team, the field hockey team, and the girl’s volleyball team also participated in Pink Out games and bake sales to benefit PinkAid.
Members of the field hockey team noted the effects of the Pink Game on their spirit, “We had so much momentum [during the Pink game] because we were out there playing for a cause we care about,” said Jenna McNicholas’15, a varsity field hockey player.
