Lady Broncos volleying for a cure Community encouraged to attend cancer awareness matches

This year, the American Cancer Society estimates over 1.6 million new cases of cancer will arise in the United States alone. Among this year’s new and existing cases, cancer will cause the deaths of approximately 600,000 individuals. This total equates to over 1,500 deaths per day.

To help raise awareness and funds for the fight against cancer, the Lind-Ritzville/Sprague volleyball team is holding a cancer awareness night for their games on Tuesday, Oct. 4. Teams will play Almira-Coulee-Hartline with C-squad and junior varsity games beginning at 5 p.m. The varsity match will begin at 6:30 p.m.

All community members are encouraged to attend. The volleyball team’s goal is for their supporters to either wear cancer awareness shirts or to paint the gym pink and teal in honor of breast cancer and ovarian cancer, respectively.

Cancer is a group of diseases caused by the mutation of a single cell that leads to uncontrollable cell growth. The American Cancer Society explained, “If the spread [of cancerous cells] is not controlled, it can result in death.”

Cancer touches the lives of many, between survivors, fighters, and supporters. Nearly 14.5 million Americans with histories of cancer were alive in 2014, reports the American Cancer Society.

Varsity co-captain Tessa Jantz said of the program’s motivation for raising awareness, “Cancer touches the lives of everyone because of its power to hurt so many people. Every person connects to cancer in some way, might it be a relative or friend with the disease.”

“Cancer is a disease that everyone can fight together,” she added.

In 1985, October was designated by the National Breast Cancer Foundation as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The goal of their annual campaign is to “increase awareness of the disease.”

“With busy daily lives, it is easy to put it on the back burner,” says assistant coach Janet Bennett. “By designating a day or period of time that we all stop to recognize the importance of awareness, it honors those who have fought, are fighting, or will fight. Additionally, it encourages people to donate financially, which is really crucial to finding a cure.”

Due to combined efforts and innovations in treatment techniques, survival rates are increasing for the four most common cancer types: lung, colorectal, breast, and prostate.

Still, the World Cancer Research Fund reports that 20 percent of this year’s cancer diagnoses will be caused by preventable factors, including body fatness, lack of physical activity, and poor nutrition, not including smoking.

“Raising awareness about cancer is important because it can educate people about symptoms, which will hopefully lead to early detection. Even more importantly, I think it is a show of solidarity and support for people experiencing cancer in their lives,” explained assistant coach Angalina Vallone.

Often times, cancer is difficult to explain. Simply, bad things happen to good people.

Cancer awareness touches close to home for Jantz: “Mary Katherine Nicholson has touched many lives through teaching dance classes. I’ve taken dance with her since I was three and was heartbroken to hear that she is going through such a battle.”

“She is a strong woman and I strive to be like her,” Jantz explained.

Vallone continued, “Cancer is hard enough, but feeling isolated and alone makes it so much more heartbreaking. Events that raise awareness about cancer really, at the heart of it, are meant to support the people affected by cancer and honor the struggle that they fight to defeat it.”

In hopes of raising as much awareness and garnering as much support in the battle that so many brave individuals fight every day, the Lind-Ritzville/Sprague volleyball team is trying to fill the bleachers for the Oct. 4 game. Ultimately, their goal is to prove to as many people as possible that just like an opponent in a game, cancer can be conquered.

“Cancer is something we can all battle against,” concluded Jantz. “I hope everyone can come to support.”