Written by Daniel Wickliff
On most nights when the Bisons and the Lady Bisons basketball teams play at home the Rhodes Rowdies arrive decked out in black and gold. However, for one night a year the Rhodes was covered not in school colors, but in pink.The Lady Bisons hosted their first “Think Pink” game on Monday, Feb. 14, to raise awareness of breast cancer research and treatment. Players, coaches, fans, cheerleaders, the band and even Buff, the Bison mascot, wore pink to show support.
“We have never had a true pink out night, and we’ve never included the crowd before,” women’s coachTim Kirbysaid.Pink T-shirts were sold in the weeks preceding the game and at game time to give fans an opportunity to be involved in the pink out. Local organizations helped sponsor this event by contributing to the cost of ordering the shirts. Chili’s covered the cost of the new pink uniforms, which Kirby said will be worn in pink out games in future years.Assistant coachDavid Walkerled the effort to start an annual game to raise awareness for breast cancer research.”My grandmother passed away in 2007 after a struggle with breast cancer, so this is something that is really personal for me,” Walker said.Junior Morgan Jones said events like this are important not only to raise funds for research, but also to encourage the women and families who are battling the disease.”Events like the pink out game … are important to women with breast cancer, or women who have had it, because it helps show them that other people care about them,” Jones said. “This can give those women hope for a brighter future.”Harding is one of many schools that participated in the nation-wide “Think Pink Week.” Division 1 women’s basketball programsBaylorandUCONNalso wore pink and raised funds in home games Monday night. Harding raised more than $1,000 and, like many other schools, donated proceeds to theKay Yow Cancer Foundation.Kay Yow was a longtime women’s basketball coach at North Carolina State University. Yow was diagnosed with breast cancer three times before her death in 2009 at the age of 66.According to Beth Bass, CEO of theWomen’s Basketball Coaches Association, more than $3.3 million has been raised by the women’s basketball community since 2007.”The dedication of coaches, fans, players and supporters in the fight against breast cancer gets stronger every year and will continue to touch so many lives,” Bass said.Fundraising plays a major role in campaigns for breast cancer awareness, but the Harding coaches recognize that there is more to the story than that.”More than anything, we just want people to open their eyes to the cause and the need for prayers,” Kirby said. “That’s bigger than anything.”Walker and Kirby said they plan to build on the foundation that was laid this season.”We’ll always be trying to make it bigger and better every year,” Walker said. Plans are in the works for next year to get social clubs involved and to bring in more community support, he said.The pink out game was scheduled for Feb. 10, but was postponed because of winter weather.The Lady Bisons defeated the Lady Muleriders of Southern Arkansas, 63-46. Junior guardSierra Rollinsled the way with 20 points and 10 rebounds. The women are 17-7 this season. They are in fourth place in the Gulf South Conference and are battling for position to advance to the conference tournament.
