On Thursdays we wear pink

The New Ulm High School gymnasium was overflowing with pink on a recent Thursday night as the Eagles volleyball team battled the St. James Saints. It is tradition for the fall sports teams of New Ulm to host a breast cancer awareness night in October to raise awareness of and money for breast cancer organizations. The New Ulm Volleyball team dubbed their night Volley for a Cure and has close relations to their organization choice.

The New Ulm Volleyball team donates to the local “B the Light Foundation,” founded by Amber Melby, mother of the former Eagles volleyball player Riley Melby. “B the Light was started as a way to help other women on their breast cancer journeys following my own battle,” Melby said. Their goal is to give hope to those who have fought or are still fighting breast cancer. They offer support groups for those still fighting, retreats for patients after treatment, and “Survival Fitness” to help survivors gain their strength back, physically and mentally. “Seeing the impact B the Light has had on local survivors is very healing to me on my own journey. It’s really amazing to see how these programs have helped women through their own battles,” Melby said.

Throughout the night and days leading up to the game, there are many opportunities for fans to donate money to this organization, starting with the selling of Volley for a Cure t-shirts designed by the New Ulm volleyball team. During the game, fans can donate money by bidding on baskets made by the community in the silent auction or participating in a serving contest following the second set. Both teams’ fans got in on this action, with fans of the Eagles and fans of the Saints both taking their best attempts at winning a prize by serving the ball to a designated spot on the court.

There is always a big turnout for this game, with lots of money being raised for a good cause. This year the Eagles faced St. James and took the win 3-0. The night ended with the varsity players showing their appreciation to their fans by signing autographs and handing out mini pink volleyballs also signed by the team.