SPRING 2008

Lady Hawks think pink to fight breast cancer

The Lady Hawks softball team is not only good at winning conference championships; they also know how to support a good cause.

Last fall, the Lady Hawks took part in the Breast Cancer Awareness tournament and raised $5,000 for the Cancer Navigators, which helps cancer patients navigate through the health care system.

“You see a lot of colleges doing tournaments for so many different causes, and we wanted to be a part of that and make an impact,” said head softball coach Melanie Carter.

The tournament was only part of the fund-raising efforts. At the Oct. 6 Shorter football game, softball players went through the stands asking for donations and raising awareness for the cause. They also raised funds by selling more than 200 pink Shorter softball shirts.

“I couldn’t be prouder of our girls and all of the effort they put into the event,” said Carter. “It was hard work, but they went into the community and raised awareness for something they felt strongly about.”

At the tournament, attendees were asked to contribute to the charity instead of paying admission fees. Worth Sports donated a new softball bat to each participating team, and each coach, player and umpire wore pink wristbands that were donated by Mizuno.

The team’s check was presented at the “Celebrate Pink!” event held Oct. 18. More than 300 attendees, including cancer survivors and their supporters, heard remarks by Barbara Dooley, wife of longtime UGA football coach Vince Dooley, and Ann Hook, an oncology nurse at Harbin Clinic.

Cheryl Ranwez, administrative director for Cancer Navigators, was “pleasantly surprised” at the donation. “I had met the team earlier in the year, and we discussed the work we do for the patients and survivors in our area,” she said. “I didn’t really know what to expect, but we were so pleased with the results.” The money raised will help fund a resource center for patients, families and the community.