Upstate Raises More Than $1,000 For Dig Pink Fundraiser
12/9/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - While the USC Upstate volleyball team posted a landmark win with its 3-1 victory over Wofford on Sept. 29, it was what the team, with the help of the 672 fans in attendance, the whole Upstate athletics family and even the visiting Terriers, were able to do off the court that will undoubtedly leave the longest lasting mark. In Upstate's first Dig Pink rally, the team raised an impressive $1,150, according to The Side-Out Foundation's Web site.
"I am so proud of the Upstate community for its support of our breast cancer awareness events the last couple years," Upstate volleyball head coachJennifer Calloway said. "To raise over $1,000 twice really says a lot about our community and its willingness to help in a great cause. "
There is still an opportunity to donate in the name of Upstate to the cause, if you visit Side-Out Foundation's Upstate Page.
The Spartans, in the crosstown rivalry match, sold more than 100 T-shirts at the event and both the visiting Terriers and the Spartans wore pink Dig Pink shirts during the warm-ups. During the match, the Spartans also wore pink jerseys. The team also gathered flat donations and pledges per kill, dig, block and assist during the match.
"Our assistant coach, Ashley Stathas, our sport supervisor, Scott Larson, our marketing director, Andy Brooks, and our sports information director, Joe Guistina, really deserve a lot of credit for the amount of organization and time they put in to make sure this event was a success," Calloway said. "Ashley, especially, really went above and beyond to make sure that we reached our goal of raising $1,000 again."
The money raised by the team went to The Side-Out Foundation, a volleyball consortium dedicated to supporting health care professionals in their pursuit of practical solutions for women and men with this dreaded disease thus enabling those affected to regain control of their lives and living them to the fullest.
The Side-Out Foundation (Side-Out) was established in 2004 by a group of individuals drawn together by their love of volleyball, but who also share a similar passion to be a part of the war against breast cancer. Side-Out's mission is to raise money for the war against breast cancer through the recreational activity of volleyball.
The Side-Out Foundation utilizes the best-qualified sources to guide its allocation of donations. It's policy is to find not only the neediest organizations locally, but the most promising areas that can deliver practical near term results in the areas of Therapeutic Treatments and Improved Quality of Life for breast cancer patients.
It was Upstate's second year running a breast cancer awareness event, with the Spartans raising $1,123.80 on Oct. 24, 2008 after a five-set match with Stetson. That event was part of Dig For The Cure with the proceeds going to Susan G. Komen For The Cure.
