Haley Zeldes ’13
Web Sports Editor
Throughout the entire month of October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Staples High School and the whole Westport community did an incredible job of getting their “pink on.” Committed Westport parents and children teamed together to jumpstart events that could involve the Westport community in some good charity.
On Oct. 5, Westport kicked off the breast cancer awareness festivities with the first annual Pink Aid Luncheon and Fashion Show at Mitchell’s of Westport. The board of this event worked tirelessly to plan a lunch, fashion show, guest speakers, auctions, and a fashion show filled with breast cancer survivors.
This event did fabulously for it’s first year raising around $300,000, which will be donated to Pink Aid. Pink Aid is a foundation that helps woman with breast cancer in Fairfield County who are uninsured or underinsured. Tammy Zelkowitz, a board member on the event is very proud of the event’s success. “I think that so many people came out for the event because the Mitchell family is so philanthropic, and it’s great to be a part of something like that.”
After the big success at the adult level, Tammy Zelkowitz brought the “Get Your Pink On” fundraiser to the world of Staples and into football. This is the third year Zelkowitz has run the fundraiser. Zelkowitz contacted Coach P and he was immediately interested in getting the boys involved. “After watching the NFL celebrate pink, I figured that if they can do it on national level we can do it on a community level,” Zelkowitz said.
This year the “Get Your Pink On” fundraiser raised $6100 selling t-shirts, towels, and hats to students in the cafeteria and around the community. Not only was that great sum of money raised, but the Staples students boldly wore their pink in the stands, while cheering on the Wreckers in pink.
The Westport community did an incredible job paying tribute to breast cancer awareness month. Breast cancer is so powerful and prevalent everywhere. “Everybody knows someone that’s has been touched by breast cancer and there is an enormous sisterhood that is created. Getting the boys and the community on board makes it even better,” Zelkowitz said.
