Pink for day: Red Arrows take aim at breast cancer
by Jane Bos |The Grand Rapids Press Saturday September 13, 2008, 12:00 AM
LOWELL -- The skies above were gray, but below, everything was pink.
There were pink rain jackets and T-shirts, pink popcorn and programs, pink stickers and balloons, pink body paint and hair. Even the field goal pads and the words painted on the Lowell High School football field were pink.
Friday night, the Lowell Red Arrows became the Pink Arrows. And for one night -- their first home game of the season -- they took on visiting Holland, along with battling breast cancer.
The game began an hour before kickoff when, hand in hand, the Pink Arrows marched from the high school down to the field, wearing pink jerseys with the name of a cancer victim or survivor written on the back.
Senior co-captain Torsten Boss, an all-state utility player from a year ago, had Gregaitis across his back.
"Oh, just look at me, this is unbelievable," said Mary Gregaitis, 45, who has been cancer-free for two and a half years, pointing to her tears. "I cannot tell you what this means to me."
The Pink Arrow Project, organized by the Lowell football program, will help many deal with cancer. The program is expected to raise more than $100,000, coach Noel Dean said. And all the proceeds will stay in the community to help families deal with issues surrounding breast cancer and in the form of scholarships.
A third of the proceeds will go to the Lowell Community Wellness Organization to help local families touched by breast cancer find the resources to deal with the issues.
The rest of the money will be split between two scholarships -- one in the memory of longtime Lowell teacher Kathy Talus, who lost her battle with breast cancer four years ago. The other will honor longtime team doctor Dr. Donald Gerard to benefit Lowell graduates attending medical school.
"It's been pretty cool at school," said David Burnett, a junior wearing pink and watching Friday's game. "Almost everyone at school is doing this, and it's been a good thing."
Theres a video on the link below.
http://www.mlive.com/grpress/sports/index.ssf/2008/09/pink_for_day_red_arrows_take_a.html
I was in tears reading this. People do amazing things. Truly amazing things.
1 comment:
That was awesome! I love the design of your blog. :-)
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