Football for a Cure

By: Melissa Iarusso & Mamdouh Elchami

October is breast cancer awareness month and many local football teams are campaigning to raise money.

Dave and Tami Hawkins, teachers at Tecumseh Vista Academy, began the “Football for a Cure” campaign three years ago through the Windsor Essex County Secondary School Athletic Association. The couple was inspired to create this campaign when Tami was diagnosed with breast cancer four years ago.

Annually, she participates in a three-day cancer walk in Michigan and organizes a team for CIBC’s Run for the Cure. But according to Hawkins, she wanted to create an initiative that would increase awareness, raise funds locally and contribute directly to the community.

The initiative started with a few local high school football teams raising money and wearing pink in their schools to raise awareness during breast cancer month. They raised about $6,000 in the first year, which was donated to Windsor Regional Hospital’s cancer centre.

“We were lucky enough to receive overwhelming support from family and friends throughout her treatment and recovery. The staff at the cancer centre was very supportive and helpful but we noticed that not everyone was as lucky as we were. There were people fighting alone and without the benefits that we had,” said Hawkins. “Upon completion of her treatment Tami felt it was necessary to give back and try to make everyone’s fight a little more comfortable.”

The campaign has grown each year with both junior and senior football teams participating around Windsor and Essex County. The teams are selling bracelets, t-shirts and collecting pledges for walk-a-thons.

In 2011, approximately $11,000 was raised through this campaign.

“The idea that young men have taken on this fight for both awareness and support of those afflicted with this terrible disease is overwhelming. They are more than willing to wear the pink in honour of those that have endured the fight as well as those to come,” Hawkins said. “It shows that we all must do our part and that young people do care.”

Students at W.F. Herman Secondary School began their breast cancer awareness campaign Oct. 5. Team captain Jordan Yovanovich, 17, is a senior at Herman and has been organizing Green Griffins campaign for three years. He said Herman ran out of all their merchandise in two days.

“It means a lot to everyone in Herman because everyone here has been affected by breast cancer in some way,” Yovanovich said. “Last year we were third in the rankings so this year we hope to send a lot more money.”

Yovanovich said it’s not a competition when it comes to raising money, but a little competition always helps.

“We have support from everyone in our school and our football team,” said Yovanovich.

Aside from selling pink t-shirts and bracelets, Herman’s football team painted their nails pink, used pink tape and wore pink socks to their game. They also used pink face paint instead of the traditional black.

Griffins head coach Guarld Lewis said he fully supports pink-inspired spirit.

“We just try to and do a small part to help out. It’s a good thing, a great cause and our guys are behind it because some family members have endured cancer and they want to do something to help out.”

Many other organizations in North America are also raising money for breast cancer research this month. The National Football League to date has raised more than $3 million for the American Cancer Society, with the majority of the donation coming from the sale of pink items at retail and on NFL Auction, according to nfl.com.

The Hawkins’s goal is to raise between $15,000 and $20,000 county-wide this year.