Seeing pink
Women’s basketball team to raise money for CancerCare Manitoba
ROMER BAUTISTA, STAFF
The Bisons women’s basketball team will be looking to fill the Investors Group Athletic Centre seats with pink clothing on Saturday, Oct. 13 when they play the Toronto Varsity Blues in pre-season action.
The team is hoping for fans attending that night’s action to wear pink clothes, in support of the fight against breast cancer. Proceeds from the event, designated as “Pack the Place Pink Night,” will be given to CancerCare Manitoba.
“What we’re hoping to do is get as many people in the gym that night,” said Bisons head coach Pam Danis.
Fans that don’t quite have pink in their wardrobe are not out of luck. Pink T-shirts with brown ribbon prints and brown T-shirts with pink ribbon prints will be available for purchase at the gates. The T-shirts will also be available prior to the event at the Frank Kennedy Centre on the Fort Garry campus.
This event will be just one of many that will be held throughout the year all across Canada raising awareness and money in support of the fight against breast cancer. Coaches from the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association have agreed to each hold one event this year in support of the cause, and this is the Bisons’ event.
“We decided it at our annual general meeting last year. We have a colleague who currently has breast cancer and is still continuing to coach, and we have had other peers and certainly women in our sport who have been affected by this awful disease. When the motion was brought to the table it was passed unanimously,” said Danis.
The total amount raised by this initiative will be announced at the CIS women’s basketball championships in Saskatoon on the weekend of March 7-9.
“It gives an opportunity to connect with the community in a different way. It’s a very good cause that the whole league has committed to, and for us to take part in that in a pretty big way is a cool thing,” commented third-year guard Michelle Hynes. “It will be pretty exciting for us to have a massive fan base for the first couple of games of the season.”
The game against Toronto is just one in the Bisons’ Garbonzo’s Invitational Tournament. The other two teams participating in the tournament are the Concordia Stingers of the QUAA and the Simon Fraser Clan, Canada West’s top team from a year ago.
The tournament begins on Friday, Oct. 12, and concludes on Sunday, Oct. 14.
“It’s a big weekend for us, simply because we have three really strong teams coming in,” Danis said. “It will really be a good test for us to see where we sit and see the things we need to do and work on to get better.”
“Two teams are from out east [Toronto and Concordia]. It will be nice to get to see what those conferences are like,” added fifth-year centre Melanie Schlichter. “Simon Fraser won CIS last year. It will be good to see where we stand, comparable to them, because they’re going to be one of the top teams in the CIS.”
Also during the weekend, the coaches of all four participating teams will be holding a basketball camp targeting female youths from across the city. The camp will consist of four hours of instruction and also include admission into all of the tournament games. Those interested in attending the camp can sign up online at the Bison Sports website, www.gobisons.ca.
