“One in eight women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. In 2024, an estimated 310,720 women and 2,800 men will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer,” according to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. To spread awareness about the fight against breast cancer, an annual global health campaign was organized known as “Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Many people wear ribbons to show support and spread awareness about breast cancer during October with several colors, signifying the different types. Hot pink is for inflammatory breast cancer, teal and pink for hereditary and gynecologic cancers, pink and blue for male breast cancer, and teal, pink, and green for metastatic breast cancer.
VMHS commemorates breast cancer survivors and battlers this month by showing support through games and colors.
“The Volleyball team has been wearing pink jerseys and socks for the month of October in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness and will be having a pink out game Oct. 22,” Amy Heinrich, athletic department secretary, explained.
Alongside the volleyball team, the football team will be wearing pink socks, which is the color that signifies breast cancer, at the game on Oct. 18 at the D.W Rutledge Stadium.
Patriots are encouraged to show their support by wearing pink attire to all of the pink-out games. If a student does not own anything pink, the student council sells pink-out shirts during all lunches. The shirts are sold for $10 each and all of the profits from the sales will be donated to the Thrivewell Foundation.
Another source of support is that anyone can donate to charities that provide diagnosis, early detection, mammograms, resources, and so much more. A list of helpful charities that provide education and support includes the American Cancer Society (ACS), Breastcancer.org, Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF), Living Beyond Breast Cancer, National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF), Susan G. Komen Foundation, and Young Survivor Coalition.
