McMaster sports teams and the Mac Athletes Care organization come together to raise money and awareness for breast cancer
Raising money for breast cancer is an annual tradition for McMaster University sports teams. After fundraising online for the past two years, McMaster’s Think Pink Week returned in-person this year from Jan. 16 to Jan. 21., making it even more remarkable with the diversity of teams involved.
At McMaster, sports teams can be organized at the U-Sports, Ontario University Athletics or club level. Competing within different governing bodies can mean different amounts of social media exposure and inclusion.
This Think Pink Week kicked off with several vibrant Instagram posts from McMaster sports teams at every level — from women’s basketball, track and field, men’s soccer, women’s soccer, women’s rugby, to sailing, rowing, cheerleading, field hockey, figure skating and nordic ski.
The photoshoots were spearheaded by student leaders from the Mac Athletes Care organization. Think Pink Coordinator and women’s volleyball player, Christina Stratford, highlighted the importance of including so many Marauder teams.
“A lot of people have brought up how OUA and club teams don’t necessarily get as much representation [as U Sports teams], so [when organizing] the photoshoot, we sent it out to all the Instagrams and as many teams as possible,” explained Stratford.
The united social media presence from these teams resulted in over 1,000 Instagram likes. More importantly, this gesture opened the door for these players to get involved in fundraising booths throughout the week. The president of Mac Athletes Care and a women’s basketball player, Mia Spadafora, spoke with the Silhouette about creating opportunities for every athlete to get involved.
“People forget that men can also have breast cancer and get breast cancer. . . It’s important to have the men’s teams involved to show support but also to give them an opportunity to share their story if someone in their life or a loved one is suffering from this as well,” said Spadafora.
“People forget that men can also have breast cancer and get breast cancer. . . It’s important to have the men’s teams involved to show support but also to give them an opportunity to share their story if someone in their life or a loved one is suffering from this as well.”
Mia Spadafora, Women's Basketball Team
Think Pink Week also featured two volleyball games on Jan. 18 and concluded with two basketball games on Jan. 21. A fundraising booth was available at every event, selling baked goods, t-shirts, pink ribbons and raffle tickets in support of the Canadian Cancer Society.
During the final men’s basketball game, five student athletes cut and donated their hair during half time. The half-time show also featured an exciting performance from the Mac Dance Competitive Team.
“We figured it would be cool to have something going along with the haircutting, so having the dance team come out was a really unique experience and something that we’ll definitely continue – whether it’s dance, or cheerleading or some other club – to include in those events because again, I think it brought out more engagement,” explained Stratford.
“We figured it would be cool to have something going along with the haircutting, so having the dance team come out was a really unique experience and something that we’ll definitely continue – whether it’s dance, or cheerleading or some other club – to include in those events because again, I think it brought out more engagement.”
Christina Stratford, Women's Volleyball Team
Although Think Pink Week has come to an end, the student athlete community continues to seek out leadership opportunities relating to health and advocacy.
C/O Pixabay
Marauders work together to raise awareness and funding for Think Pink Breast Cancer Fundraiser
Every year, around the end of January, the Marauders have gathered to spread awareness for Think Pink Breast Cancer initiatives. Not only do they spread awareness through social media accounts, but they also prompt the wider public to donate to the initiative.
In a small description on the donations website, the Marauders explained their cause and described it as a yearly ritual.
“Every year, Marauder student-athletes come together for Think Pink, raising funds for breast cancer research, education and advocacy,” stated the iFundMac donations page.
From Jan. 24 to Jan. 28, the Athletics and Recreation will change their colors from maroon to pink to raise awareness for the cause. “Throughout the week, Marauder’s will Think Pink and bring together students, staff, and community members in support of an important cause and inspire hope for the future,” stated the iFundMac website.
The McMaster Alumni Community has pledged that all funds raised through the campaign will be donated to Juravinski Cancer Center.
Throughout the past week, Marauders did not only take to social media to spread awareness and gather the donations for Think Pink, but they have also conducted some in-person activities on campus that were broadcasted live. On Jan. 26 four student athletes — Victoria DiDomenico, Arianne Soriano, Deanna Mataseje and Jasmine Lewis — volunteered at the Think Pink event and have donated their hair for the cause.
To broaden this initiative, the Marauders also had the Director of Athletics and Recreation, Shawn Burt, speak about his experiences with cancer and why Think Pink is so important.
“I, like so many in this community, unfortunately have a close connection to this cause. Nothing happens without great people stepping up and getting behind the cause,” said Burt
“I, like so many in this community, unfortunately have a close connection to this cause. Nothing happens without great people stepping up and getting behind the cause."
Shawn Burt, Director of Athletics and Recreation
As of Jan. 28, the Athletes Care donation website for Think Pink has raised $810. Their goal is to reach $2000.
While we don’t have a cure for cancer, it is important to raise awareness for the Think Pink cause, as millions go through the struggles of Breast Cancer on a yearly basis. The McMaster Marauders initiative may only be on a yearly basis, but the support from the community is a great way way to help.
McMaster Athletes Care Think Pink is a yearly fundraiser. More information and how to donate can be found at the official iFundMac donation platform.
Mac Athletes Care raise over $5,400 for the Juravinski Cancer Center
Each year at McMaster University, many athletes from different sports around the school unite to strengthen the athletic charitable efforts with Mac Athletes Care.
This past week, their objective was to help promote awareness and fundraise for the Think Pink initiative — an annual project surrounding the battle against breast cancer.
Briana Da Silva, a field hockey player and member of Mac Athletes Care who has been active in the Think Pink initiative, spoke about the organization.
“The Think Pink campaign is all about raising funds and spreading awareness around breast cancer. In some way or another cancer has impacted all of us and it is beyond important for us to do what we can. Typically Think Pink would have a wide range of running events, from bake sales and raffles to spikeball tournaments and shoot for the cure,” said Da Silva.
The COVID-19 pandemic has cast difficult times on many during the pandemic. Many organizations inside and outside of McMaster had to undergo serious change in order to keep running successful operations.
In wake of the pandemic, the Think Pink initiative looks much different than in previous years. In-person event programming has become a well-known fixture of Think Pink week. However due to limitations brought by COVID-19, this had to change.
“Since we cannot fundraise or have in-person events, we had to switch everything completely virtual. This limited the options of events we could host and online engagement tends to be lower than in person,” added Da Silva.
“Since we cannot fundraise or have in-person events, we had to switch everything completely virtual. This limited the options of events we could host and online engagement tends to be lower than in person,” added Da Silva.
Megh Rathod, a men’s rugby player and active participant in the annual event, discussed some of the hardships the organization has undergone recently, with the pandemic being one of two tragic events to have happened to Mac Athletes Care.
“It’s been a challenge as well because we don’t really have a staff sponsor or supervisor this year. . . The second challenge is what can we do in terms of the initiative. Usually, we rely on people being able to spare a couple dollars at the David Braley Athletic Centre, but we realized that with COVID, money might be a bit more of a constraint and it would be more difficult to get one or two dollar donations through an online platform,” said Rathod.
As such, the Mac Athletes Care team realized that an information campaign was more suited for this year, given the initiative being run online.
“We built an awareness campaign. That was something that we didn’t really cover much in the past. This year we shifted information to be more when you should get screened, or who should be concerned, breast cancer and its prevalence and some statistics to inform individuals and begin that conversation. It was a new addition this year that we hope to carry forward . . . Last year we were really successful in raising $5,400, usually because we can really take advantage of DBAC and the facilities and the in-person traffic and we usually set up tables there over the week,” said Rathod.
As effective and important as awareness can be, the club understands the importance of raising funds to put towards the Juravinski Cancer Center and has continued to attempt fundraising.
“With things looking a little differently this year, we are selling masks and t-shirts through the campus store and the proceeds will go towards Juravinski Hospital and Cancer Centre Foundation. On our Instagram page, we have some neat infographics and there is also the virtual “shoot for the cure” happening as well,” said Da Silva.
Cancer is a hard fought battle that many have unfortunately lost to and although individual efforts might not be enough to cure the vicious disease, each contribution makes a difference, taking a step closer to the end goal.
The ongoing pandemic has made things more difficult for the Think Pink initiative, but Mac Athletes Care hasn’t given up and is ready to keep battling this together.
Photo by Cindy Cui / Photo Editor
Breast cancer awareness campaigns are common throughout many North American professional and collegiate sports. Joining the ranks of the National Football League, National Basketball Association, National Hockey League and National Collegiate Athletic Association, McMaster Athletes Cares hosts an annual Think Pink initiative. The student group is made up of current athletes and regularly participates in community service and fundraising initiatives within campus and the greater Hamilton community.
McMaster Athletes Care runs several campaigns during the year such as clothing drives, McMaster Children’s hospital visits, Boys and Girls Club of Hamilton and Think Pink, a week-long breast cancer awareness campaign. Highlights from last week’s events include a range of events, from raffle fundraisers giving away McMaster branded gear and exercise classes, to competitions like Spike Ball tournaments.
Think Pink, with support from the Royal Bank of Canada, aims to raise awareness while also raising funds for the Juravinski Cancer Centre and Bright Run, an annual non-competitive walk or run fundraiser supporting breast cancer research at the JCC.
By participating in charitable efforts, McMaster Athletes Cares has shown a soft side complementary to the competitive edge of McMaster athletics. This is a step in the right direction as McMaster’s athletes prioritize creating an impact both on and off the courts.
This grassroots effort was specifically chosen to financially support local causes. McMaster Athletes Care felt it would be more effective to donate to local institutions that would invest the funds back into the Hamilton community.
McMaster Athletes Care felt it would be more effective to donate to local institutions that would invest the funds back into the Hamilton community.
Claudia Continenza, a fifth year defenceman for the women’s soccer team and Think Pink organizer, noted that the group’s decision to support JCC and Bright Run was made to ensure that there was transparency regarding where funds are allocated.
Continenza’s vision for Think Pink goes further than just how the initiative went this year. She would like to see Think Pink include not only the promotion of breast cancer awareness and research but to support other causes, such as other types of cancer.
This past April, McMaster Athletics faced the realities of cancer when Joe Valvasori, the head coach of the women’s soccer team passed away following a long battle with stomach cancer. Following this loss, McMaster Athletes Care reflects on expanding on its initiatives and fundraising efforts to include other areas of cancer research to widen its support to the Hamilton community.
“I think actually one of my hopes, and it might not be the hope of whoever takes over for me next year, but one of my hopes would be that we can expand our horizons beyond just breast cancer research and awareness. Our former head coach Joe [Valvasori] passed from stomach cancer so it’s something that’s really close to our team and we’re putting all this into supporting breast cancer but any progress in cancer is great and a goal of mine is to expand this initiative past just breast cancer,” Continenza said.
In the experience of participating students and community members, Think Pink is a valuable initiative that creates an opportunity for athletes to actively engage in supporting healthcare and charitable causes in the Hamilton community. While breast cancer researcher remained a focus of this year’s Think Pink campaign, there’s interest in expanding the initiative in the coming year to reflect the evolving needs of our local community.
If you have been at McMaster over the last few years, you may have seen pictures of varsity athletes rocking pink tutus floating around on social media or at the front desk of the gym.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bdxg5TcgkYt/
These photos are in promotion of the Mac Athletes Care breast cancer fundraiser. Every January, Mac athletes put together a number of activities in order to raise money for breast cancer research. Although we still have a few more months before the event kicks off, we went behind the scenes at one of the iconic photoshoots and caught up with rugby player, Ontario University Athletics Shiels Division Community Service Award winner, AND event coordinator Mackenzie Wiens to see what Mac Athlete Care has in store for Think Pink.
Mackenzie: We have always had great involvement from athletes! Leading up to the fundraiser [Jan. 7-12] athletes can sign up to volunteer at the Think Pink Table. This year we are trying to increase our social media presence to ultimately improve our online fundraising efforts. We have been able to meet with 16 teams and are so excited to have their support.
M: We will have our raffle table (where we are currently looking for donations) and t-shirt sales every day as well as at the varsity games. New this year is a spike ball tournament on Friday, Jan. 11, which will have a great prize for the winning team!
M: Last year, we raised $10,000. This may be bold, but were hoping to raise $15,000 this year!
It’s not enough to want to do good, at some point you have to do good! I’m so happy that this year, all the funds will be used to support and fund breast cancer research in Hamilton — by investigators who work at Hamilton Health Science Juravinski Cancer Center & McMaster University!
Photo from Silhouette Photo Archives
[spacer height="20px"]For more inquiries or if you would like to donate, email [email protected]. Also follow @mcmastersports to follow along with their fundraising efforts or to see some awesome photos of your favourite student-athletes rocking pink tutus for a good cause.
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As students spent time adjusting to the new semester, the week of Jan. 8 was also the beginning of one of McMaster Athletics’ most highly anticipated events. Athletes from different sports brought out their pink accessories for Think Pink, a week-long fundraiser in support of the Canadian Breast Cancer Awareness Foundation.
Think Pink started as an initiative by the University of Waterloo’s women’s basketball team. Over the last seven years, it has expanded to include multiple varsity teams who host recreational activities and other fundraising events for the entire Canadian university community.
For McMaster, the initiative is spearheaded by Mac Athletes Care, a group of student-athletes from a variety of varsity teams who connect with young people through sport on a weekly basis. For the week of Jan. 8 however, they traded their mentoring obligations in for fundraising efforts to join other Canadian university programs.
The team started off the week with their “Photo Booth Kick-Off”, which occurred alongside McMaster’s Athletics and Recreation partner Royal Bank of Canada’s “Someday Wish” wall where students could write on to enter in a draw to win $1,000.
For “Toonie Tuesday”, a variety of activities took place, each costing. Games included a 100 square where students could pick a number and win one of four different gift cards and a couple of candy jar guesses. These games could also be enjoyed with cookies sold by the fundraising team. This was followed up by a fan favourite: throwing pies in coaches’ and support staff’s faces on Jan. 10.
Unfortunately, Jan 18 “Dodge For A Cause” was unable to run due to the lack of participants but a Jan. 19 Fun-Fair and donation and raffle booths at the volleyball and basketball games this past weekend rounded up the week’s festivities to end on a high note.
Leading Mac Athletes Care as head coordinator for Think Pink is fourth-year computer engineering student and women’s rugby player Mackenzie Weins. While Weins has spent the last four years volunteering for the program, this was her first year in charge as the program coordinator.
“During last year’s Think Pink, I spent the whole weekend with former coordinator Gabriel Ghiglione and really loved it,” said Weins. “I remember telling Nicole, the school’s CBCAF liaison, ‘Don’t put anyone else down! I’m running Think Pink’,” said Weins. “So I started compiling ideas and sending them to her and she would be like ‘Okay [Mackenzie] you got it!’ and with her support it has been running really smooth ever since.”
Weins came into the week having experience working in event planning with the City of Niagara, special events and assisting with logistical planning for the women’s rugby team, so she was more than prepared to lead her team.
For Weins being able to give back through Mac Athletes Care is an experience like no other.
“The Living Rock, the first place I volunteered, gave me an opportunity to meet people completely different from myself, which really made me aware of the privilege I have being not just a university student, but a student-athlete” said Weins.
Being able to support The Living Rock or the CBCAF to help give to people in need is an opportunity that Weins does not take for granted.
“What [the CBCAF] offers to women and their families is really incredible,” said Weins. “So to be able to be as fortunate as we are as student-athletes with the opportunities that we’ve been given, the least we can do is support such an awesome cause.”
“I know for me, sport has been something that has kept me grounded and confident to live my life and to go for it, so I attack fundraising the same way I attack rugby,” Weins added. “I tell everybody I’m the least talented person on the team but because I look at film, I go to every practice and I work out, it makes up for it. I’ve actually had the privilege to start for the last two years.”
[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id="77" gal_title="Think Pink 2018"]
Tackling the Think Pink campaign with the same intensity as she tackles rugby preparation has helped her lead Mac Athletes Care to raise approximately $10,000 for the cause.
Also in support of the cause, the basketball and volleyball teams wore “Just Cure It” t-shirts and used pink tape during their games this weekend. Both the men’s and women’s volleyball teams were able to win their Friday game against the Brock University Badgers and the University of Windsor Lancers on Saturday.
Another big win from the Think Pink weekend came from the women’s basketball team, who defeated the Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawks 81-59 to give them a four-game winning streak. Unfortunately the men’s basketball team was unable to keep up with the Golden Hawks and trailed throughout the game, losing 79-64 to leave them at a disappointing 2-12 record.
Overall the successful weekend was just one of many great initiatives run by Mac Athletes Care that gets student-athletes involved in the Hamilton community. Giving them an opportunity to use the skills they learn in their respective sports and the platform varsity athletics give them and apply them to help others in need.
Last week McMaster’s Athletics and Recreation departments hosted their annual Think Pink event, a week dedicated to raising awareness and funds on behalf of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. A part of national fundraising efforts since its inception in 2007, the event has established a tradition of bringing together student-athletes from across the university for a worthy cause. While each has been touched by cancer in a unique way, their stories offer a glimpse into how the battle against cancer unites us, and what we can do to help.
“I have had friends that have lost their parents to breast cancer,” said Rebecca Steckle, a fifth-year outside hitter on the women’s volleyball team. “To dedicate something so small, that seems so meaningless like a volleyball game... you really gain perspective. You go into [it] wanting to win and working hard and focusing so much, but to step back and say this is for something so much more… is a really special thing”
Steckle was part of a team effort that produced back-to back wins in Burridge Gym last weekend, both of which were dedicated to raising awareness for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. A part of the campus-wide Think Pink initiative, the women’s volleyball team played two of the eight games hosted by McMaster varsity teams over the course of three days, all devoted to the Think Pink cause. But for Steckle, her reason to participate goes even deeper than her own personal relationships.
“I work with cancer patients, and I see the way they fight through their disease,” said Steckle. “It doesn’t overcome them. I see their strength… as athletes we are privileged to be here, so anything we can do to give back and use our platform to fight back is really special and we have an opportunity to do that.”
An oncology nurse in local hospitals, Steckle got involved with Think Pink through McMaster Athletes Care, a student-run organization that aims to use sport as a catalyst for inciting social change. Each year, student-athletes partner with the McMaster Athletics and Recreation department to coordinate a wide-range of fundraising events. Not only have they been able to successfully draw in local members of the community, the partnership of varsity athletes across sport has created a culture of cooperation and family, something Steckle can attest to.
“My coach said in his speech last year that ‘family is not confined to space and time, so when a weekend like this comes, and family gets back together, we have a chance to do something really impactful.”
This “family” of student-athletes has been something Steckle has been a part of from the start of her career as a marauder. When asked about any memories of Think Pink that really struck a chord, she recalled her first experience with the cause.
“In my first year we would have a game or two were we dedicate it to the Think Pink campaign. I still remember my first year, we would get shirts and get to write someone’s name or a group of people we were playing for… it was special to feel so connected to something because everyone is touched by cancer in some way.”
“Everyone is touched by cancer in some way,” said Lexie Spadafora, a fourth-year guard on the women’s basketball team. “For our team especially.”
Since arriving for her first year at McMaster in 2013, Spadafora has seen the development of Ontario University Athletics all-stars, an all-time leading scorer, and been a part of three OUA playoff runs in a deep division. But tough opponents would not be the only challenge her and her team would do battle with.
In 2015, head coach and 22-season figurehead of women’s basketball Theresa Burns would announce the return of her battle with breast cancer. Undergoing treatment throughout the 2015/2016 season, these Marauders have seen up close the fight and perseverance anyone who has been touched by cancer experiences.
“[Think Pink] means a lot to her, it means a lot to us,” said Spadafora. “It is always in the back of our mind, we are doing this for her.”
"Everyone has one goal, and that is to beat cancer. For us to do it in a sport we love, and for a coach we love and look up too... that's a good way to do it."
Lexie Spadafora
Fourth-year guard, McMaster women's basketball
Even before Think Pink, women’s basketball has been at the forefront of breast cancer initiatives. Whether it is wearing pink socks and warm-ups on game day, running the CIBC Run for the Cure, or raising over 20,000 dollars for “Team TB” in 2015, these Marauders are doing everything in their power to make a difference.
“We just want to get everyone involved as much as we can,” said Spadafora. “Everyone has one goal, and that is to beat cancer. For us to do it in a sport we love, and for a coach we love and look up to... that’s a good way to do it.”
And they aren’t alone. Over 400 fans packed Burridge Gym for the Think Pink games against York and Queen’s, a testament to the tight knit community the women’s program has created. But if there is one thing Spadafora wants to emphasis it is that those games were just a starting point.
“This is something that shouldn’t just happen this week,” said Spadafora. “It should happen all year. This week kind of promotes it, but it is important for students and members of the community to know that they are always other ways to contribute.”
“There are always ways to contribute,” said Ethan Saunders, a fifth-year veteran of the men’s rugby team. “That is one of the things that makes it so great.”
Involved with Think Pink since his first year, Saunders noticed the week as one of the volunteering opportunities brought to athletes by McMaster athletes care.
"Run in unison with marauder alumni weekend, was packed with returning players, coaches and members of the community who were able to partake in the week's fundraising initiatives."
“I was looking for a way to have an impact beyond the field,” said Saunders. “Because I realized early on that’s a pretty limited number of people I can affect there… [Think Pink] is a broader scale for sure.”
For the duration of the week, Saunders spearheaded an athlete run promotion station in the David Braley Athletic Center. Ditching his rugby gear in favor of a pink ballet tutus and matching neon tights, Saunders did everything from pass on information about the cause to selling raffle tickets and t-shirts. He also helped run daily fundraising events such as “Pink Balloon Pop”, and “Dodge For A Cause”.
“My favorite event each year has been pie-in-the-face, I find it absolutely hilarious,” said Saunders. “I had a chance to throw my first pie this year, instead of being on the receiving end of the pies… its just good to have all the other athletes out and have everyone coming by.. it is just such a good community event, what more could you ask for?”
No stranger to helping others, Saunders was the recipient of an OUA community service award last year for his volunteer work with the McMaster Student Therapist program and as a team representative for McMaster Athlete’s Care.
Saunders also voiced his support for the timing of Think Pink this year. Run in unison with marauder alumni weekend, Burridge Gym was packed with returning players, coaches and members of the community who were able to partake in the week’s fundraising initiatives.
“It is cool to have [students and alumni],” said Saunders. “It is kind of a past and present thing which is very reflective of what you are dealing with with breast cancer as well, it is a unifying issue, so there is some neat messaging there… but the more people you have around campus the better”
