October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and several of the Tiger fall sports teams joined forces with Northfield in helping raise funds for the cause.
The project started in Northfield after the death of Raider soccer player Haley Bollum's mother from the disease. Haley's teammates decided to make a statement of support by conducting a fundraiser for the Susan G. Komen Foundation for breast cancer research.
A key component of the project was having the Northfield girls team wear pink shoe laces, the universal color for the fight against breast cancer, for their games.
Because Northfield and Farmington were scheduled to play each other in several sports during the span of the project, FHS athletic director Jon Summer was contacted and several Tiger teams, including boys and girls soccer, volleyball, football, swimming and diving and cheerleading were asked if they wanted to join in the effort. All jumped at the chance.
The Tiger soccer, volleyball, football and cheerleading teams donned pink shoe laces for the match-ups with Raiders. The volleyball girls added pink hair ribbons and their fans came dressed in pink colors for the match. Obviously, the swim team didn't need laces so they competed in pink caps.
All in all, the project helped raise more than $8000 for the Komen Foundation and left a lasting impression on the Farmington teams that participated.
Volleyball coach Mike Woody said his team enjoyed the opportunity and it plans to continue wearing their pink laces for the remainder of the season.
Football coach Mark Froehling offered that the opportunity to participate reinforced the educational component of athletics.
"Our players got an opportunity to be part of something bigger than themselves," he said, "an opportunity to contribute on a bigger societal scale."
The Tiger swimming team not only took part in the "pink night" but also donated $200 to the cause.
"It felt good to give back," coach Jen Marshall said.
The centerpiece of the project was the Farmington-Northfield girls soccer game played in Northfield where more than 800 fans attended the Missota
Conference match-up.
"We loved being part of it." Tiger coach Rob Carpentier said. "I have personally lost my mother, grandmother and great-grandmother to one form of cancer or another. It was nice to see there are more important things in the world than soccer."
