BOSTON, Mass. - For the eleventh year in a row the Suffolk University community has joined together as part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month throughout the campus. On Tuesday, October 23 the Suffolk community got together for the fourth annual “Stand Up for Pink” event as a crowd of nearly 300 people joined together donning pink t-shirts forming a human pink ribbon to help show their support and unity towards the cause.
The event was comprised of administrators, faculty, staff and members of the University hosted by the Athletics Department. Many of the Rams’ student-athletes were on hand with their coaches as Director of Athletics James Nelson was the Master of Ceremonies.
Senior Associate Dean of Students Ann Coyne spoke to the crowd, acknowledging the many different departments on campus who have played a role throughout the month of October in the many other activities that Suffolk runs as part of their campaign in raising awareness about Breast Cancer.
There were also several special presentations at the event, as well as an appearance by Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Commissioner Joe Walsh, who acknowledged Suffolk’s student-athletes for their participation.
Men’s Basketball senior captains Matt Pepdjonovic (Quincy, Mass.) and Colin Halpin (Melrose, Mass.) made a presentation to the Holiday Inn staff including their Head Chef Richard. The local hotel, which is located on Blossom Street around the corner from the Ridgeway Building on Beacon Hill has played a considerable role over the past several years through generous donations and once again supplied the crowd with desert that featured chocolate and vanilla cupcakes with the pink ribbon symbol on top of them prepared by Chef Richard and his staff.
The Annual Pink Tie Award, which is given to a Suffolk University male who has demonstrated leadership in their support against breast cancer was handed out to Men’s Basketball Head Coach Adam Nelson and Women’s Basketball Head Coach Ed Leyden. Since 2005, Coach Nelson and his men’s basketball staff have done their part in raising awareness towards the fight against cancer as part of the National Basketball Coaches Association Suits and Sneakers Awareness weekend as part of Coaches versus Cancer in collaboration with the American Cancer Society. During a weekend in January, high school and college coaches around the nation will swap their dress shoes and lace up their sneakers to wear alongside their customary game day dress suits to help promote healthy living and raise support in the fight against cancer. The Suffolk University Men’s Basketball program has now taking part in the campaign over the past seven seasons. In 2007 the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association began their pink zone initiative in honor of Kay Yow, the former North Carolina State Head Women’s Basketball Coach who passed away after a battle with breast cancer. Since then, our Women’s Basketball team under Coach Leyden has represented both Suffolk University and the Great Northeast Athletic Conference by donning pink warm up shirts in February before games to show their support and also help raise awareness in the fight against breast cancer.
2012 Stand Up for Pink Slideshow
(All Photos are courtesy of John Gillooly/John Gilloly Photography)
*Release provided courtesy of Suffolk University Sports Information Dept.