Cancer Fight Takes Center Court On Glenwood Pink Out Night
GCHS student-athletes and staff form a human ribbon during last week’s Pink Out ceremony.
Cancer survivor Lana Duysen gets a hug and pink rose from her grandson Jack Johnson, a member of the Ram basketball team.
The Glenwood Community High School dance team took part in the Pink Out festivities.
The Glenwood cheer team on Pink Out Night.
The pink GCHS student section.
Glenwood Community High School students and staff came together with members of the community last Tuesday for the annual Pink Out Night in the GCHS gymnasium.
The event, established to promote cancer awareness and honor individuals who have fought the disease, has become a winter tradition in Glenwood. Survivors and those who have died from cancer were recognized during a human ribbon ceremony between the girls and boys varsity basketball games against Clarinda.
“It’s a huge deal,” Glenwood girls basketball coach Brian Rasmussen said. “We try to tell the kids how special of an event that it is for our community.”
Each basketball player, team manager and coach selected a person who has fought cancer to be honored. The names of the honorees were read aloud during the ceremony and posted in the game program and on the video scoreboard. Pink roses were presented by the student-athletes to cancer survivors seated in the crowd.
“It really involves a lot of people and it kind of puts the whole game of basketball, athletics and everything else we do into perspective,” Rasmussen said. “We feel great getting to be a part of it – honoring and recognizing those who have dealt with things from a health standpoint.”
Funds and donations generated by Pink Out Night will be donated to the Mills County Relay For Life, a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society.