OSU soccer team "thinks pink" in support of breast cancer awareness
The Cowgirl soccer team takes the field in their special pink jerseys last Sunday against Baylor.
Oct. 27, 2009
STILLWATER, Okla. - Oklahoma State senior Bridget Miller came to assistant coach Karen Hancock with an idea earlier this season.
The Cowgirl soccer team captain wanted OSU to wear pink jerseys during a match to raise awareness of the fight against breast cancer.
Hancock liked the idea and sought support for the idea to become a reality. Nike was able to provide the jerseys. DuPree's Sports of Stillwater agree to do the print work on the jerseys free of charge. Baylor's soccer team had no problems with the Cowgirls donning the pink jerseys in their match, and the referees for the game also signed off on it.
So last Sunday afternoon, the Cowgirls took the field against Baylor "thinking pink," with all 25 field players sporting the special pink jerseys.
The Cowgirls haven't been the only ones taking the field or court in pink during October, which is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Teams from the National Football League and National Basketball Association have been sporting pink gear of late, as well, and OSU's soccer team was proud it could do its part to join in the fight against the disease.
"It's kind of trendy right now to do the pink, but it's a good thing that it's trendy," Hancock said. "You see a lot of pink in the month of October, and it's a good thing. It made me read up on the stats. As a woman my age, I've got to be diligent about taking care of myself.
"We were happy to wear the jerseys and promote awareness of taking good care of yourself, encouraging your mother, sister, aunt, grandmothers to take care of themselves and get screened."
The Cowgirls will further their fight against breast cancer by auctioning off their jerseys from the Baylor match during their regular-season home finale Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Cowgirl Soccer Complex. During the match against Utah, there will be a silent auction to bid on the pink jerseys, with all proceeds going to the Susan G. Komen Foundation of Central Oklahoma to aid in the fight against breast cancer.
The auction will begin at 6 p.m., and minimum bids for the jerseys are $25 apiece.
"We feel good about being able to raise some money and have it staying close to where we are in central Oklahoma and maybe affecting the lives of people who are out there getting treatment," Hancock said.
The Cowgirls themselves are familiar with some of those people who have battled the disease. Forward Kasey Langdon's mother, Jayne, and defender Melinda Mercado's grandmother, Peggy, were both singled out at halftime of the Baylor game as being eight-year and 21-year survivors, respectively, of breast cancer.
"We learned as we were doing this that a couple of our players' mothers and grandmothers had been affected by this disease and were survivors of this disease," Hancock said. "It's one of those deals where you just start to look around and see just how many people have been affected by this.
"I didn't know it until I read it, but 25 percent of all diagnosed cancers in women is breast cancer. If a full quarter are getting diagnosed with that kind of cancer, I'd say it's a pretty significant health concern.
"We're just so pleased that we could do a little something to promote awareness and raise some funds for the fight against breast cancer."
Hancock added that the response from the Cowgirls' gesture has been incredibly positive and has already had a far-reaching affect.
"I know people were touched by us wearing the jerseys," Hancock said. "I heard from a couple of former players who were out of state and not at the game but noticed that we were wearing pink from the pictures on our website. I got several emails saying how great it was that we did that. One of them told a specific story that she had a very good friend from high school who had just passed away from the disease at age 31.
"So, it's something that touches a lot more people than we think or talk about, and we're happy that Bridget came to us with the idea. It's a win-win situation, and hopefully on Thursday night we raise a lot of money to send down to the foundation."
