Volleyball team excited for Dig Pink

It has become a steady tradition for the Fargo North volleyball team to host the Dig Pink game every year along with Fargo South. Its purpose stems from a cause that affects 1 out of 8 women in their lifetime: breast cancer. Millions of people in the US are affected by breast cancer, whether as newly diagnosed or a longtime survivor. Nationally, October is the month that is dedicated to awareness for this prevalent and serious disease.
“Dig Pink is one of the things we look forward to every year,” junior Karlie Goschen proclaimed. “We always get large crowds of people who are here to support the cause.”
According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, breast cancer is caused by a malignant tumor developing in breast tissue. It’s a rarely discussed fact that females aren’t the only ones who can develop breast cancer; males, although they have less breast tissue, can still be diagnosed. It’s still quite rare but about 2,470 men are affected in a year.
On the other hand, 252,710 women are said to be diagnosed yearly. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death among women and the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women. This can be translated to one women being diagnosed every 2 minutes and one women dying from it every 11 minutes. Even so, there are millions of women that live and thrive today as survivors of breast cancer.
Various fundraisers are put on throughout the month around the country just like North’s. Events include walks like Relay For Life (which will take place at Fargo North later this school year), sporting events, parades, as well as individual donations to organizations that support breast cancer research and victims.
Dig Pink is truly revolutionizing the effort to raise money for breast cancer as it is organized through the Side-Out Foundation which empowers volleyball teams from around the country to get involved and make a difference. In fact, the top fundraising teams in 2014 raised over $140,000 for the organization with a grand total of about $1.3 million dollars being raised in the end that year.
All the members of the volleyball team fundraise for the cause by selling pink t-shirts to students, staff, and other people in the community. The team also wears pink jerseys for the event. With both the volleyball players and attendants of the game alike, the goal is for every person in the dome to be wearing pink.
“It’s one of our most well attended games and I think it’s a super great cause,” senior Rose Soori said about Dig Pink. “Everyone gets super excited about buying the shirts and it’s so cool to see so many people wearing them.”
The results that this volleyball game generates is just another example of how Fargo North supports those who are wanting to give back to the community.