With a peek of a champagne pink shirt here and the blush of rose-colored posters there, the Irvine Stadium was full of smiles and bright eyes during Northwood’s annual Pink Out football game on Oct. 16 as part of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  

“It’s important to get people to support those that are going through the struggle of breast cancer,” Boys Athletics Commissioner junior Aditya Hari said.

Pink Out originated in 2009 when a Pennsylvania student organized her school to turn its football stadium pink to raise money for the Young Women’s Breast Cancer Awareness Foundation. 

Northwood’s Pink Out has evolved into a community fundraiser, with businesses donating a percentage of their sales to charitable organizations focused on fighting cancer.  

“Spreading awareness on breast cancer is so much more common than we think it is,” member of Northwood’s Pink Ribbon Club senior Allison Lee said. “One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.”

Through their efforts, the Pink Ribbon Club aims to help the families affected by breast cancer who have suffered losses of their loved ones and further educate people on the importance of early screening. 

This past April, club members also participated in Northwood’s Health Awareness Week, which promoted the physical and mental well-being of Northwood students by creating a physical health jeopardy game and awareness bingos on their Instagram page. 

“We have a Breast Cancer Awareness Month bingo on our highlights,” Lee said. “Each bingo includes an awareness activity, including writing a letter to an affected patient or reading an article on breast cancer.” 

To help the cause, you can make a donation to organizations like the National Breast Cancer Foundation or attend awareness events like community walks to help make strides against breast cancer. 

Even the simple act of wearing pink during October shows the support women need to rise to meet the challenges they face.in dealing with breast cancer.