The net was decorated pink. So were the two head referees, Joan Rowan and Christine Castrucow.
Seven teenage males painted the tops of their bodies pink in support of the home team. The home team’s players had pink streaks throughout their hair. Their coach wore a pink golf shirt. Pink baked goods were being sold in the school concession.
The fifth annual Block Out Cancer Senior Girls Volleyball Charity Night Thursday, Oct. 24, in front of a near-capacity crowd at the Seaton gym was certainly in the pink.
The host Seaton Sonics – currently ranked sixth in the B.C. AAA senior girls volleyball rankings – took on their crosstown rivals, the Vernon Panthers, who fell out of the top-10 last week in a game that was secondary to raising funds for the Canadian Cancer Society.
READ MORE: Vernon volleyball team takes spike at breast cancer
Admission was by donation, which got the audience tickets at the raffle table. Buying the baked goods – made with love by the athletes – was by donation. All proceeds go to the Canadian Cancer Society, and final tallies were still being made over the weekend.
“October is breast cancer awareness month, which hits close to home for many people in the Vernon volleyball community,” said event co-organizer Rebecca Haberstock of the Sonics. “This event is in honour of all those affected directly and indirectly by breast cancer.
“We raised $2,421 which was a big step up from last year, and we beat our goal of $2,000.”
In warm-up, the Panthers’ players wore pink T-shirts while the Sonics were clad in white with a pink breast cancer awareness logo T-shirt.
“We are here for a great cause and to show how student-athletes contribute to the community beyond sports,” said Seaton assistant coach and hilarious evening emcee Craig Howard, who gave each player and coach on both teams a special introduction, and who had the crowd making sound effects as the ball was in play.”
On the court, the Sonics swept the Panthers 25-15, 25-19, 25-21.
Prior to the game, the Sonics honoured graduating players Haberstock, Jamie Nicholls, Mairka Ternan, Sophia Mackenzie, Kaia Barker and Sarah Beka with flower bouquets. It was the girls’ final home game of their high school careers.
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