Volley For The Cure

October is national breast cancer awareness month, and to raise awareness and support, Kilbourne hosted Buckeye Valley High School for their annual Volley for the Cure match. Varsity was able to come out victorious over the barons, as was the JVB team.

One of the fundraisers was a silent auction, which is pictured above.

Volley for the Cure is a yearly fundraiser that branches from the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer organization, a foundation that has invested over $1.1 billion since it began in 1982. Kilbourne raises funds for them through an auction, 50/50 raffle, bake sale, and donations. “We used to go door to door, asking for donations,” says head coach Meladee Hopkins, “but we haven’t done that since the pandemic. We have a QR code that we send out all over social media asking people to donate in the name of Volley for the Cure.”

Players distribute the link to friends and family, “...just trying to hype the game up as much as we can during the week,” said Elizabeth Bennett, a sophomore on the team. “I’ve sent it out to people in my neighborhood, my friends, mostly trying to convince them to come out and watch.” In order to prepare for the game, posters were hung around the school and announcements were made in the days leading up to the match.

At right, various forms of advertisement for the game can be seen.

Volley for the Cure was started by two high schoolers from Loveland, Ohio, in 2006, and featured over 800 Ohio high schools participating. Volley for the Cure has since become a national event, with matches and fundraisers taking place all over the country. “This will be our 17th time we have done this, because we’ve been doing it since it began,” explained Hopkins. Volley for the Cure is not limited to high schools; according to Hopkins, “they also have Dig Pink for breast cancer at the college level as well, and there are several schools that do that.

Many athletes play the game in honor of a family member or friend who has been affected by breast cancer: “[the reason why] It’s near and dear to us because we’ve had several players with parents or grandparents who have breast cancer or some other type of cancer. So it’s just something that we’re very passionate about,” said Hopkins. “Players are also able to go up in the stands during introductions, and they can give a flower to somebody who has survived breast cancer.”

It is safe to say that Volley for the Cure was a success this year, as the program raised over $5,000 dollars for their cause.