Women’s Volleyball Raises Money for Cancer Treatment with Dig Pink 2019

With their game against the College of Saint Elizabeth on Thursday, October 3, 2019, Cairn Women’s Volleyball showed their support for those battling breast cancer through their annual Dig Pink event. 
Started by the Side-Out Foundation for stage IV breast cancer research, Dig Pink is a fundraising initiative held by women’s volleyball programs of all levels across the country. As stated on their website, the events are “designed to educate and empower young athletes” about the value of community involvement and to take initiative for a good cause. Dig Pink has raised 14 million dollars for cancer research with over 9,000 participating teams. 

Cairn Women’s Volleyball held its first Dig Pink in 2018. As Women’s Volleyball Coach Whitney Seidel explains, Dig Pink is an initiative that supports her core belief that “collegiate athletics is at its best when it is used as a platform for service and community impact off the court.” When Coach Seidel started coaching in 2017, she knew she wanted to start organizing the Dig Pink event annually. “It’s an amazing opportunity to support this national outreach which has become part of the foundation of American volleyball,” Coach Seidel says, “especially at a university where our student-athletes are constantly being taught to serve, sacrifice, and love others like Christ.”
This year, the team’s fundraising efforts doubled last year’s total, reaching over $1500. The funds went to the Breathing Room Foundation; an organization based in Jenkintown, PA, that offers emotional, physical, and financial support to individuals and families affected by cancer. The Breathing Room Foundation is of particular importance to the Highlanders; the foundation supports freshman libero Lizzy Fay and her family as her mother battles cancer. The Fay family was honored before the game, and the audience gave them a touching round of applause.
The team sold white Dig Pink t-shirts for this year’s fundraiser, which fans wore to Thursday night’s “white-out.” Sporting their own white jerseys for the white-out, the Highlanders fought hard in a back-and-forth match against the College of Saint Elizabeth. Though they ended up losing in five-sets, they gave fans an exciting and well-played match. 
Cairn Athletics proudly supports this important and personal cause of breast cancer research. “I am so proud of my athletes and how these young women have embraced this cause,” Coach Seidel explains. “I am excited to see how our annual event grows in the future.”