Local organizations rally around Volley for a Cure event by painting the town pink in the weeks leading up to the game.
Although Volley for a Cure is surrounded around Lee's volleyball match, it also provides several other fundraising opportunities leading up to the event. T-shirts were sold among the community, a silent auction, a Pink Party took place and Flamingo Flocking within the community was sponsored by Habitat for Humanity.
Volley for a Cure is an annual pink event that spreads awareness for breast cancer during Lee's Homecoming weekend, while also raising money to benefit the Mary Ellen Locher Scholarship Foundation.
The Mary Ellen Locher Scholarship Foundation fund is designed to reward children who are facing financial and emotional burdens due to losing a parent to breast cancer or are breast cancer survivors.
Assistant Athletic Director and Lady Flames Volleyball Coach Andrea Hudson said the people they serve through the event truly are heroes.
"We are helping some of them by providing scholarships to their children when we know the families have such financial stress already," Hudson said.
After working for two months, Hudson said $6,500 in t-shirts were sold throughout the community to support the cause.
The Lady Flames promote the volleyball match as an opportunity for the community to come together and contribute to the cause. While the Lady Flames competed in the match, many attendees filled the stands wearing the 2015 Volley for a Cure t-shirts to show support.
"Being a part of the pink game every year is electrifying," Catherine Conley, Lady Flames volleyball player, said. "It's always our biggest game of the year, but it's so humbling. I'd have to say that Volley for a Cure has really taught me the importance of involvement."
Conley said it takes many different people coming together each year to reach their goals.
"As imperative as awareness is, I've learned that taking action to put that knowledge to good use is just as important," Conley said.
Several volunteers within the community including Zeta Chi Lambda service organization assisted by serving at the event.
Assisting since 2009, Zeta member Madison Trentham said the organization helps with planning, fundraising and promoting the event every year.
A lot of planning goes into the event itself ... President of Zeta regularly meets with the Volley for a Cure team to help make [sure] things run smoothly," Trentham said.
The seventh annual luncheon for breast cancer survivors was also held on Thursday, Nov. 5th, 2015 at the DeVos Recreation Center. Sonya Jones, a contestant of NBC's "Biggest Loser," appeared as a guest speaker.
