For once, the home crowd at Colonial Life Arena was wearing something other than garnet and black.
As part of the WBCA Pink Zone initiative, South Carolina's contest on Sunday afternoon against Arkansas was a pink-out designed to raise awareness for breast cancer. Fans were encouraged to wear pink and the first 1,000 through the door received a free pink t-shirt.
As part of the WBCA Pink Zone initiative, South Carolina's contest on Sunday afternoon against Arkansas was a pink-out designed to raise awareness for breast cancer. Fans were encouraged to wear pink and the first 1,000 through the door received a free pink t-shirt.
Going hand in hand with the crowd in order to show their full support
for the cause of breast cancer awareness was the South Carolina women's
basketball team. The Gamecocks laced their shoes up with pink laces and
hit the court sporting their all-pink jerseys. (Fans can bid on the
team's game-worn uniforms by visiting the Auctions page of GamecocksOnline.com).
Varsity Sports Marketing Director for South Carolina Athletics, Josh Waters, helped coordinate with the women's basketball team to promote the event. Media involvement in promotion was also key in order to generate more awareness about the game. Waters also said that the program was lucky to have worked with a couple of sororities as well as other student groups and organizations.
Ellie Lewis, an active member of the Zeta Tau Alpha chapter at South Carolina, was at the front door of the arena greeting people with a warm smile while passing out "Think Pink" ribbons and pink "Go Gamecocks" bracelets before the game. Ellie believes that "breast cancer awareness is extremely important because it fosters action."
Relay For Life At USC, Steps Against Breast Cancer, and The Lydia Project were just a few of the other organizations who came out to raise awareness and show their support.
Ellen Read with The Lydia Project could not have been any more excited about what the university was doing to raise awareness. She felt that it was extremely important that the women's basketball team was doing its part to foster awareness.
"Any money that's raised is a wonderful thing. Breast cancer is so prevalent today and any awareness or funds brought about because of this game is just a wonderful thing," said Read. "I can't thank the university enough for doing this."
At half time, Zeta Tau Alpha, Kappa Kappa Gamma, and other organizations in attendance lined up around the court to give high fives to breast cancer survivors as they did a "mini relay for life" race around the court. The survivors were enthusiastic as they marched around the court, grinning from ear to ear. It was hard to hear Beyonce's "I'm a Survivor" on the arena's sound system over the crowd's roaring standing ovation.
While the game's final score might not have been the desired result, few could argue that this year's Pink Zone game was a special event that touched many people and helped a great cause.
Varsity Sports Marketing Director for South Carolina Athletics, Josh Waters, helped coordinate with the women's basketball team to promote the event. Media involvement in promotion was also key in order to generate more awareness about the game. Waters also said that the program was lucky to have worked with a couple of sororities as well as other student groups and organizations.
Ellie Lewis, an active member of the Zeta Tau Alpha chapter at South Carolina, was at the front door of the arena greeting people with a warm smile while passing out "Think Pink" ribbons and pink "Go Gamecocks" bracelets before the game. Ellie believes that "breast cancer awareness is extremely important because it fosters action."
Relay For Life At USC, Steps Against Breast Cancer, and The Lydia Project were just a few of the other organizations who came out to raise awareness and show their support.
Ellen Read with The Lydia Project could not have been any more excited about what the university was doing to raise awareness. She felt that it was extremely important that the women's basketball team was doing its part to foster awareness.
"Any money that's raised is a wonderful thing. Breast cancer is so prevalent today and any awareness or funds brought about because of this game is just a wonderful thing," said Read. "I can't thank the university enough for doing this."
At half time, Zeta Tau Alpha, Kappa Kappa Gamma, and other organizations in attendance lined up around the court to give high fives to breast cancer survivors as they did a "mini relay for life" race around the court. The survivors were enthusiastic as they marched around the court, grinning from ear to ear. It was hard to hear Beyonce's "I'm a Survivor" on the arena's sound system over the crowd's roaring standing ovation.
While the game's final score might not have been the desired result, few could argue that this year's Pink Zone game was a special event that touched many people and helped a great cause.
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