Feb. 25, 2011
By Alexis Morgan, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - For the fifth straight year, a wave of pink shirts will flood Happy Valley in honor of breast cancer survivors.
The Lady Lions are collaborating with the WBCA for the 5th annual Pink Zone aiming to raise $150,000 at Sunday's event. Penn State will look not only to improve its season record but to also increase breast cancer awareness and help fund research by donating $3 for every ticket sold to this year's Pink Zone matchup against Northwestern.
"Pink Zone has evolved into a humongous event across the entire state," said head coach Coquese Washington. "The event touches people from hours away. It has grown by leaps and bounds since we started. We have over 300 survivors coming to the game."
As well as an honorary special halftime ceremony, there will also be a post-game reception for all breast cancer survivors and their guests.
"We look at it as it's a huge party for survivors and their families," said Washington. "We pretty much turn the arena over to them and celebrate them. At Penn State, we have always been at the front of the Pink Zone event. Pink Zone is such an inclusive event for the entire state and it means a lot to us."
The WBCA began the Pink Zone in 2007 as an initiative to increase breast cancer awareness in women's basketball, on campuses and in communities. The Lady Lions were the first Division I team in the country to wear pink uniforms supporting breast cancer awareness. Since then, the campaign has gotten bigger every year bringing more than 1,800 teams and organizations together in 2010.
The Penn State Lady Lions and Fullington Trailways have teamed up to provide free bus services for breast cancer survivors, families, and friends on the Fullington Trailways, Susquehanna Trailways and Martz Trailways bus lines. These buses will provide service to the Pink Zone event at Penn State from 13 Pennsylvania cities.
Inspired by the late former North Carolina State University head women's basketball coach, Kay Yow, the WBCA Pink Zone has raised nearly $3.3 Million, has reached almost 2.7 Million fans, and has unified over 4,700 participants across the country in only four years.
Penn State hopes to raise $150,000 this year after a record-breaking year last season. In 2010, the Lady Lion Pink Zone raised $80,339.08, totaling more than $165,000 accumulated in the first four Pink Zone events held at Penn State. The money raised will benefit a resource library at Mount Nittany Medical Center, a research grant for the Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute, outreach awareness at the PA Breast Cancer Coalition, and the KayYow/WBCA Cancer Fund. The Lady Lions believe they are fueling education, research and outreach.
Washington believes it's important to give back to the community.
"We look at Pink Zone as a truly significant cause for Lady Lion Basketball to be involved with and to do our part to help create education, awareness and funding to find a cure. That's very important and we get behind it 100 percent. We love what we are doing with Pink Zone and we want to continue to make it a significant cause for Lady Lion Basketball," Washington said.
For senior captain Julie Trogele, the game and Pink Zone event will be bittersweet. "I am always hoping we can pull out the win for the breast cancer survivors and those that are still going through it and just make sure that we have a great crowd coming and be supportive of the survivors and their families," Trogele said.
Penn State Athletics will offer free entry to all students. The Penn State Book Store is selling Pink Zone t-shirts and will donate $5 for every adult shirt and $3 for every child's shirt sold back to the cause. There will also be silent auctions available at the game and chance drawings to win a Lady Lion Pink Zone jersey. Online auctions are available now at www.charitybuzz.com and www.GoPSUSports.com.
The Penn State, Northwestern matchup will start at Noon Sunday in the BJC. The game will be televised on the Big Ten Network at 4 p.m. For more information on the Pink Zone at Penn State, visit the official Pink Zone website (www.gopsusports.com/pinkzone). The WBCA Pink Zone at Penn State is also on Facebook (www.facebook.com/pinkzoneatpennstate).