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Owls are making every win count
(by Erin Patricia Griffiths - October 01, 2008)
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Photo Courtesy Of Mike Weaver
Park Ridge High School girls’ varsity basketball team captains Jamie Kalafut, left, Dana Carroll, center, and Nolyn Birch have been working together to raise money for breast cancer while also increasing awareness in young women, along with their fellow teammates.
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For the past two years, the Park Ridge High School basketball team has been looking to win a battle, and not just ones with alley-oops and three-pointers. The team is focused on raising awareness about breast cancer, educating women, and trying to raise money to fund research. Their message on the courts is clear: play hard. Their message in the locker room is just as clear: feel your boobies.
The girls varsity basketball team became involved in raising money for breast cancer in 2006, when coach Michael Weaver joined the team. In honor of his mother’s 10th year of being breast cancer free and in memory of former captain Rose Mathis’ mother who passed away from breast cancer, a campaign was organized by Weaver and the girls to raise money for breast cancer education and research. “My main goal in the breast cancer work that we do is to bring the educational piece to our student-athletes,” said Weaver.
As part of the campaign, the Friends of the Lady Owls Basketball Team supported their efforts with a monetary contribution for every three-point shot made during the season. The girls went around to various commercial businesses asking for sponsorship and connecting with the community. The financial contributions received were measured on the wall of the gymnasium and by the end of the year approached $2,000.
The team’s efforts became more widespread in 2007, stretching to all girls’ varsity sports at
Park Ridge
High School . The project was called “Every Win Counts,” and for every girls’ varsity team that won a game during the 2007-2008 season, the Friends of the Lady Owls Basketball Team again supported their efforts with monetary contributions. The goal was set for 78 wins, but the girls’ varsity athletics far exceeded this, finishing with 98 wins and raising over $5,000.
The money raised is donated to The Feel Your Boobies Foundation, the non-profit group the team has been working with since the inception of the campaign. Though quite surprising in name, the group was chosen because its message is directed towards young women, and is an attention grabber to all of those who hear it. “Early detection is the key to beating this disease,” said Weaver. “And by using the message ‘Feel Your Boobies,’ we are able to get our girls and the adults in their lives not only to laugh, but to think about what ‘Feeling Your Boobies’ really means and why it is important.”
In an effort to raise awareness and increase breast cancer education for young women, breast cancer survivor Leigh Hurst founded the Feel Your Boobies Foundation after being diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 33. At the Pink Ribbon Night held at
Park Ridge
High School on Oct. 3, 2007,
Hurst attended to share the story of her battle with breast cancer with the varsity athletes and their parents. “I feel like it is more personal because we actually met Leigh Hurst and she told us her story,” said Dana Carroll, one of the three girls’ varsity basketball captains and project coordinator for “Every Win Counts.”
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Basketball Challenge
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The
Park Ridge girls basketball team is trying to raise funds for the gift bags that are being distributed at the North Jersey Breast Cancer Basketball Challenge in January. They are accepting raffle basket donations and sponsors to help cover the costs associated with the gift bags that each of the 150 participants will receive. Anyone interested in working with the team can contact Michael Weaver, head coach, at 201-336-2321 or e-mail prhsbreastcancerchallenge@live.com. Donations can be sent directly to: North Jersey Breast Cancer Basketball Challenge,
Park Ridge
High School, 2 Park Ave. Park Ridge, NJ
07656.
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This school year, the team has stepped up their efforts once again, hoping to reach beyond just the girls’ varsity teams in the athletic department and educate the students and adults in the community, while also raising funds for breast cancer research. Their goal is to reach $10,000 this year. But the financial side of the program is not what is at the forefront of the girls' efforts. They are focused on educating women and raising awareness about this killer.
For the 2008-2009 basketball season, the team will be involving other
North Jersey teams in their work. On Jan. 10, 2009, Park Ridge will host a four game North Jersey Breast Cancer Basketball Challenge with teams participating from Pascack Valley Regional, Northern Valley Regional,
Ridgefield
Park ,
New Milford , Glen Rock, Ramapo and Secaucus. The focus of the day is not only to enjoy games in a relaxed and less competitive setting, but also to educate the 150 participating student-athletes in attendance, as well as raise money to support future efforts with the tournament. As part of the educational portion of the event,
Hurst will be in attendance to speak with the players on each of the participating teams about her battle with breast cancer and the work she has done with the Feel Your Boobies Foundation.
For the
Park Ridge
High School girls’ varsity basketball team, the upcoming season is not just about bringing home banners to hang on the walls of the gymnasium. It is about building on past efforts as a team to raise awareness about breast cancer, and encourage young women to protect themselves and work together for a cure.
Erin Patricia Griffiths' e-mail address is GriffithsE@northjersey.com.
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