The Varsity

The Varsity Blues celebrated the fifth annual “Cheer Blue, Think Pink” campaign in support of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation at home games this weekend.

Members of the women’s basketball, volleyball, and hockey teams turned out in pink to show their support for the cause in what were the last home games of the season for the basketball and volleyball teams.

The idea for the campaign came from the CIS Women’s Basketball Coaches Association campaign, “Shoot for the Cure.” That initiative has raised almost $400,000 so far, and this year, all 43 CIS women’s basketball teams will be taking part for the first time. “Shoot for the Cure” operates throughout the basketball season, with the donations raised being presented to cancer charities at the CIS championship event.

The Blues recognized that “Shoot for the Cure” was a great idea but wanted to make it bigger.

“What we decided at the University of Toronto right from the beginning five years ago was to say, ‘This is a good cause; why don’t we combine it with many of our women’s sports?’” explains Varsity Blues women’s volleyball head coach, Kristine Drakich. “U of T made the decision that they would raise money for breast cancer, [and the campaign] would include women’s ice hockey, women’s volleyball, and women’s basketball.

“So I think we were a little different in terms of being one of the first to embrace it for all of the women’s sports that were ticketed.”

As part of the campaign, the Blues sold Think Pink t-shirts and mittens for $10 each, with proceeds going to the Canadian Breast Cancer foundation. The teams found other ways to raise funds as well. “We also have pink ribbons, pins that have a volleyball on them with a pink ribbon, [and] the money raised will go to [breast cancer research],” said Drakich.

“In the case of our team, our pink jerseys are sold off and the money that we make goes towards [breast cancer] research,” said Karolina Urban, the Blues women’s hockey captain.

The Blues teams also took time to honour alumni who have been affected by breast cancer. “There are many women who have been involved in the different programs who have probably been impacted by it in some way, shape, or form,” said Drakich. “We have a former player who graduated in 1992 who’s a breast cancer survivor: four years clean now.

“My mom, who is an alumna but also works with the team, is a survivor, and the parent of another athlete, an alumna, has also been impacted by it recently. We’re going to honour those women that were very much part of our program, and still are — share their celebration of being so many years clean.”

“Cheer Blue, Think Pink” aims not just to raise funds but also to raise awareness. “I think it brings awareness that it can impact you whether you’re young or in your 30s, in your 40s, in your 50s, in your 60s, in your 70s — it really doesn’t have an age. I think it helps to see that it’s very real,” said Drakich.

Although not everyone involved in the campaign has been affected by breast cancer, they recognize how important it is to help out in any way they can. “We’ve been fortunate enough not to have anyone that has had someone that has gone through breast cancer,” said Urban. “But we want to do our part — the least we can do is take the money that we raise and give it to research.

“Hopefully we can raise awareness at the university as well — get more fans out to games to raise money for this cause.”