In cooperation with organizations across the Midlands, Columbia College (CC) athletic teams are joining the fight against breast cancer. During October, athletic teams will participate and organize various community initiatives to increase awareness, detection, prevention, and treatment of breast cancer.

Community Service
Basketball, tennis, and soccer teams kicked off the month of community partnership by volunteering and participating in Palmetto Health Richland's 5K Race for the Cure this past Saturday, October 2. The event, which rose over $500,000 for breast cancer research and treatment, marked the 20th anniversary of the race and garnered over 6,700 participants at Columbia’s Finlay Park.
The Fighting Koalas volleyball squad continued education efforts by visiting Spring Valley High School on Monday to share important health tips with fellow student-athletes. Future visits include Southeast Middle School on October 12. The team is also collecting donations for the Side-Out Foundation, which funds a number of breast cancer organizations statewide.
CC softball players will collect food items for patients at South Carolina Oncology Associates throughout the month. Items collected and donated by community residents will be assembled into care packages by the softball team and personally delivered in November. Columbia College's fitness center is also joining in the action by collecting Yoplait yogurt lids. Yoplait, in turn, will donate 10 cents per lid to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

Going Pink
In addition to community partnerships, Columbia College athletes will be “going pink.” Columbia College’s Younts Stadium will don a pink ribbon at midfield during its home match against Brenau University on October 19. Volleyball athletes will fashion pink bandanas during the “Dig Pink” event while the basketball squad sports pink shoelaces during their season-opening scrimmage at Claflin University October 25.

“Dig Pink”
To highlight Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the volleyball team will sponsor “Dig Pink.” The event will take place at Columbia College’s Godbold Center as the Fighting Koalas take on conference rivals Shorter College Friday, October 22 at 6:30 p.m. “Dig Pink” will feature halftime activities and a sea of pink in efforts to encourage family and fans to join the fight. Breast cancer survivors and fighters in attendance will be honored.

Columbia College is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletes’ (NAIA) Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC). Champions of Character, a NAIA program, seeks to instill servant leadership, integrity, responsibility, respect, and sportsmanship in its student-athletes. For more information on Columbia College athletics, please visit www.gokoalas.com or call 803.786.3060.