THUNDER BAY – Healthbeat – Go Wolves Go! It was a triple header for “Think Pink” this season, and the winners are the women of Northwestern Ontario. As the Lakehead University Thunderwolves women’s basketball team celebrated their fourth annual Think Pink campaign in support of the Northern Cancer Fund, their efforts were joined by the women’s volleyball team and the men’s basketball team.
As part of the campaign, the Wolves players and coaches collected pledges. They also sold Think Pink T-shirts at the games, and donated the proceeds of Haul-a-Ball.
The Wolves raised $7,586.34 this year, bringing their four-year total to an impressive $21,543.16. The funds will stay in Northwestern Ontario to support breast cancer education & awareness, screening, treatment and research for the people of our community. But Think Pink is about more than raising funds – it’s also about raising breast cancer awareness.
“Our fans offer incredible support,” noted LU women’s basketball coach Jon Kreiner. “We want to give back to them in meaningful ways, which includes encouraging breast cancer screening.”
It’s also import to Kreiner that the women on his team are advocates in the fight against breast cancer. “We all have a role to play, and the sooner we become engaged, the more difference we can make,” he said.
The idea for the Think Pink campaign came from the Canadian Interuniversity Sport Women’s Basketball Coaches Association campaign, “Shoot for the Cure.” That initiative has seen all universities with women’s basketball across Canada raising funds to support breast cancer charities.
The Wolves recognized that by supporting the Northern Cancer Fund of the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation, their Think Pink games would advance breast cancer initiatives in this community.
“We really value initiatives like the Lakehead University Think Pink game and it’s great to see the way it expanded this year to reach more people,” said Glenn Craig, President & CEO of the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation. “Not only has it raised much-needed funds for breast cancer screening, treatment and research, but it’s bringing awareness to young adults which is such an important demographic as we look to the future.”
In the photograph: Lakehead University women’s and men’s basketball and women’s volleyball Thunderwolves players made a big impact with this year’s Think Pink campaign.
In the back row are Lindsay Druery, women’s basketball; Jon Kreiner, women’s basketball coach; and Anthony McIntosh, men’s basketball. In the front row are Ben Johnson, men’s basketballl Athena Kreiner, Health Sciences Foundation; Breanne Hilhorst, women’s volleyball; and Chris MacLennan, men’s volleyball.