Volleying against cancer

October 5
Volleying against cancer

Breast cancer is hereditary in Regan Palfey’s family. Her mother, Catherine, and even her great-uncle were afflicted with the disease.

Funds will be raised for breast cancer during “Dig Pink” at the Penn State Wilkes-Barre vs. Penn State Abington women’s volleyball game at 7 p.m. on Oct. 9 at Penn State Wilkes-Barre. Members of the Penn State Wilkes-Barre women’s volleyball Tteam are, from left, first row, Sierrah Henderson, Mariah Syracki, Mandy Imburgio, Lydia Naperkawski, Coach Regan Palfey, Kelsey Biondo, Leanise Rodriguez and Corrine Monick. Second row, Krissy Gannon, Sierra Simonton, Mistie Charney, Terrysha Lewis and Allie McCarthy-Ramsey. Absent at the time of the photo was Mallory Trojan.

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Dig Pink, an event Palfey is sponsoring to raise funds to help eradicate breast cancer, will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 9, at Penn State Wilkes-Barre during a volleyball game between the girls from the local PSU campus and the Penn State Abington campus.

Palfey, coach of the PSU/WB team, organized the event in honor of her late mother who was killed in a car accident.

“My mother was a breast cancer survivor and I would like to do this in her honor,” Palfey said. “At first, she had a surgery to try to keep her breast, but then it (the cancer) came back right after my father passed away and she had her breast removed. She passed away in a car accident a few years ago and I always remember going to breast cancer fundraisers with her. I guess I wanted to start raising money for the cause, also.”

Dig Pink is held through The Side-Out Foundation (Side-Out), an organization formed in 2004 by a group of people drawn together by volleyball and determined to help fight breast cancer. Side-Out’s mission is to raise money for the fight against breast cancer through the sport of volleyball.

Palfey heard about Dig Pink after Side-Out sent her an e-mail asking her team to help out.

The event is held in October in conjunction with Breast Cancer Awareness Month. As of September 24, 594 college and high school volleyball teams nationwide had planned to hold Dig Pink matches during the month.

Baskets and tickets to an upcoming Penn State University/Indiana football game will be raffled off at the Penn State Wilkes-Barre Dig Pink event. The players will hold a bake sale and t-shirts will be for sale. Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania’s Gallery of Hope will be on display, featuring local breast cancer survivors. Information on breast cancer will also be available.

Members of the Dallas High School Chorus, directed by Palfey’s sister, Cassie, and Jennifer Hunter, will sing the national anthem before the start of the volleyball game.

Everyone present is encouraged to wear pink. Team members will wear Dig Pink shirts during warm-up and pink ribbons in their hair. The women are even considering getting tie-dyed pink and white shorts.

The team plans to honor breast cancer survivors in attendance with purple flowers. Purple is the color associated with all cancer survivors.

“I really hope breast cancer survivors show up,” Palfey said. “I want to honor them somehow, at least to stand up in the beginning. When we announce the players’ names in the beginning, we will have them give out purple flowers to the survivors.”

In addition to being the women’s volleyball coach at Penn State Wilkes-Barre, Palfey is a third-grade teacher at Dallas Elementary School. She has been a participant the last three years in the American Cancer Society’s Back Mountain Relay for Life.

Anyone who wishes to donate to Side-Out but cannot attend the event may send a check or money order to: The Side-Out Foundation, P.O. Box 884, Annandale, VA 22003. Please reference the team name on the memo/for line of the check or in a note with the check.