Saturday, October 7, 2017

USU Tackles Cancer

Each year Utah State hosts a "Pink-Out" football game on the first Saturday in October.  This game is a kick off for breast cancer awareness month.  This year, we had the opportunity to participate by wearing pink USU shirts and cheering on the football players as they ran out on the field.
We were part of a big group of Breast Cancer Survivors and their families.  It was so fun to be a part of this great cause.  It was also amazing to meet so many great women who have been through what I had been through.  There is definitely strength in numbers and support from those who know what you are going through.  I was amazed how we instantly became friends with these great ladies and their families because we had a connection .

At the beginning of the game, we made a "tunnel" or line along the field and cheered as the football players came out and ran through our tunnel.  It was cool to be right on the field and look up at the large stadium.  

During the game, the kids and I sat in the nosebleed section and had a literal bird's eye view of the game.  We didn't mind because we could still see everything and it was fun to watch the game.  By the time it was half-time though the kids were getting bored.  Good thing it was time to go back onto the field for the half-time show.  During half-time, all of us in our pink shirts went back on the field.  There were 55 of us in all and we represented the 55 women in Cache Valley that are diagnosed with breast cancer each year.  That number seemed really high for my taste but then one person diagnosed with cancer is more than enough.  I was one of those 55 this year...  While we stood on the field, the hospital was presented with a check from the university for money to go toward breast cancer research.

After we were done on the field, we hung out on the sidelines with Russell for a little while.  He was working as a standby paramedic for the game.  He had the best seats in the house, the lucky duck, right on the field!  Then we headed back up to our seats in the sky.  Unfortunately USU was not doing well this game and was behind the whole game.  I have decided that we are bad luck for USU.  It seems like every game we go to (which are not many) they lose and the games we don't go to, they win.  So during the 4th quarter, we decided to give them a break from the bad luck fans and headed home.  (Okay, I also wanted to beat the mad dash of people and traffic.)  

In all though, I am glad we were able to participate in this event.  It was fun to be on the field as well as meet some pretty awesome women.  I think I would like to do this again next year.

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