April 14, 2008
ATLANTA – The Georgia Tech Softball team and the Atlanta Chapter of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation have partnered together in an effort to raise awareness and funds to help fight the cause of breast cancer. The Yellow Jackets will host the inaugural “Strikeout for the Cure” during both games of this Saturday’s 1:00 p.m. doubleheader against Boston College at Glenn Field.
“We’re proud to be supporting the fight for breast cancer,” head coach Sharon Perkins said. “So many people have either been affected or know someone that has been affected so it is important that we continue to create awareness and raise funds for the necessary research. I hope everyone can come out and support a great cause and realize that even the smallest of donations will go a long way to helping out.”
Parents, fans, businesses and coworkers may pledge amounts for every strikeout the Yellow Jackets pitching staff records against Boston College, or they can make flat donations to the cause. Over the last two years, Georgia Tech has raised over $14,000 for the Susan G. Komen Foundation through the Yellow Jacket volleyball team’s Dig for the Cure Efforts and now every woman’s program is participating.
Pledges and donations for “Strikeout for the Cure” can be made by contacting Georgia Tech Athletics’ assistant director of communications Seth Gerard (404-894-5445, sgerard@athletics.gatech.edu).
Every Georgia Tech player and coach will have pink uniform accessories on Saturday and pink breast cancer awareness shirts will be sold at Glenn Field for $15 with all proceeds going directly to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Fans planning on attending the Atlantic Coast Conference doubleheader are also encouraged to show their support and wear pink.
Through the “Dig for the Cure” program, volleyball teams and coaches from around the country have helped raise more than $60,000 over the last four years for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. All money raised by the Yellow Jackets and every other participating team goes directly to the Komen Foundation’s local affiliate in their community.
This season, other women’s sports teams from Georgia Tech wanted to join in the efforts, as nearly 200,000 women are diagnosed with the disease every year
The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation was established in 1982 by Nancy Brinker to honor the memory of her sister, Susan G. Komen, who died from breast cancer at the age of 36. Today, the Foundation is an international organization with a network of more than 75,000 volunteers working through local affiliates and events like the Komen Race for the Cure® to eradicate breast cancer as a life-threatening disease. Together with its Affiliate Network, corporate partners and generous donors, the Komen Foundation has raised more than $740 million for the fight against breast cancer.
For more information, call the National Toll-Free Breast Care Helpline at 1.800 I’M AWARE® (1.800.462.9273) or visit www.komen.org.
