by Allison Alwood
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which is an annual campaign to spread recognition of the disease. In efforts to support the National Breast Cancer Foundation, sports teams within the York Suburban Community have been participating in fundraising activities.
The York Suburban High School girls’ soccer team engaged in a Pink Out match against the Gettysburg Area High School on Oct. 6, 2015. The girls had played the lady Warriors earlier in the season, but lost in double overtime.
This time around, the lady Trojans had vengeance in mind. They did not only want to reiterate their strive to beat Gettysburg, but to also raise awareness and efforts for breast cancer.
Senior Morgan Taylor said, “As a team, we really wanted to do something that would better the school and the community. We had some extra money that the seniors decided to put towards a Pink Out game, instead of blowing all of it on snacks or something.”
Members of the team prepared for the game many weeks in advance. The girls posted notices and updates about the event on various social media platforms. Flyers were posted around the school and t-shirts were sold for $12 to advertise the Pink Out. Before anyone knew it, it had become the new “buzz” of the school.
Taylor said, “On the day of the game, I just remember so many of my teammates saying ‘We have to win tonight’ and other phrases along those lines. We really just got each other excited and focused because we felt like we were playing for something bigger than just us.”
The final score of the night was Gettysburg 2 – York Suburban 1. Even though the girls lost the battle, they did not lose the war. The team raised over $2,500 for breast cancer awareness. Taylor said, “I think YS really comes together when we have events like our Pink Out or the Girl’s Volleyball Black Out, which has been successful for years. It’s so cool to see pictures of students, faculty, families, and community members supporting us in the stands, or by wearing the shirts. It’s crazy how many people get involved, and it makes me proud to say that I was a part of that. York Suburban might not be the biggest school, but when we all come together, ‘sheeeeesh’, we do some pretty huge things!”
For further information about the girl’s soccer team and other sporting events, make sure to follow Taylor “Momma Meg” (@notmeg_) on Twitter.