Dig Pink: Fighting cancer through volleyball

The Hewlett High School girls varsity volleyball team turned their recent home match against Cold Spring Harbor into a breast cancer awareness rally. The team designated the match as their Dig Pink game, a way to raise awareness and funds for the fight against breast cancer. The game was held in October as part of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

The girls on both teams wore pink jerseys and, together with the Community Outreach Club, handed out pink ribbons to make the school aware of the purpose of the game.

“We had educational materials available to help educate and raise awareness about breast cancer,” said Marie Cesario, coach of the girls varsity volleyball team. “We felt it was important to get involved with this. Everyone on the team was excited to be involved in such an important event.”

The Dig Pink event was sponsored by the Side-Out Foundation and the Community Outreach Club at the high school. The Side-Out Foundation was established in 2004 by a group of individuals drawn together by their love of volleyball, but who also share a similar passion to be a part of the war against breast cancer. Side-Out’s mission is to raise money for the war against breast cancer through the recreational activity of volleyball.

Cesario said the support from the entire Hewlett community was appreciated as many of the fans wore pink to the match, which Hewlett won three games to one.

“The Dig Pink event was our first event like this,” Cesario said. “It was very successful and we had a lot of support from both teams. All in all, the day was about breast cancer awareness and education.”