In communities across the U.S., schools, sports teams and clubs are taking action by fundraising to end breast cancer through Go Pink for the Cure, Susan G. Komen’s program focused on the next generation of supporters: students.
From basketball tournaments to swim-a-thons, these grassroots fundraisers raise crucial funds to support Komen and unite communities in a shared vision of a world without breast cancer. Below, we highlight three groups that have led the charge on the court, in the pool and throughout their communities through Go Pink for the Cure.
Ballin’ for a Cure: Mukwonago Girls Basketball Club Scores Big with Tournament Fundraiser to End Breast Cancer
How Ballin’ for a Cure Began: A Basketball League’s Response to Breast Cancer
After the wife of a Mukwonago Girls Basketball Club member received a breast cancer diagnosis, Bob Bogan, a league director and coach with the Wisconsin club, brainstormed how the league’s teams could provide support. Ballin’ for a Cure was born.
“The intention was to get all the girls together for a day of friendly competition to show support for her,” he said. “Then, after my assistant coach’s wife was also diagnosed with breast cancer, I took a step back to reevaluate things.” Bob, the father of three daughters, was surprised to learn that one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.
“When you look at those statistics, the odds are that could easily be your daughter or wife,” he said. “We have about 80 girls in our program and felt we could do more by turning it into a basketball tournament or fundraiser.”
A Community United: Turning Friendly Competition into a Fundraiser to Support Komen
The first Ballin’ for a Cure basketball fundraiser to end breast cancer took place during National Cancer Prevention Month in February 2022. The event raised more than $17,000 to support Komen’s work to end breast cancer.
“We expected to just break even,” Bob said. “There were 32 teams that came from southeast Wisconsin, which was the most we could fit into the gym. Unfortunately, it grew to a point where we had to turn teams away.”
To raise as much money as possible, the tournament included raffles and silent auctions featuring items donated by local businesses.
Bob had T-shirts made, with 100% of the proceeds going toward the club’s fundraising. Additionally, they sought sponsorships from businesses to help offset the cost of running the tournament.
Record-Breaking Success: The Impact of Ballin’ for a Cure on the Next Generation
The tournament’s success continued to grow and raised more than $65,000 in 2023 and 2024. Bob credits the success to the families and players who take on volunteer roles in planning the event each year.
“The girls take on active roles in getting donations, decorating and helping clean up after the tournament,” he said. “While many of them have aged out of the program since our first tournament, they come back every year to volunteer their time to help the next generation of players.”
Laps of Love: Texas Swim Team Dives in to Support Komen through Swim-A-Long Fundraiser to End Breast Cancer
Swim-A-Long: South Briar Barracudas Raise Funds for Breast Cancer Awareness
At the beginning of each swim season, Houston’s South Briar Barracudas community swim team hosts Swim-A-Long, a fundraiser where team members swim laps and raise money for a charitable organization. In 2024, the team chose to fundraise to end breast cancer awareness. The cause that hit close to home for many team moms, including Liz Goodman.
Finding the Right Fit: Breast Cancer Survivor and Team Mom Helps Organize Fundraiser
In October of 2023, doctors diagnosed Liz, an elementary school principal, with breast cancer during a routine mammogram. She underwent a double mastectomy the following month.
She found support from other team moms who had gone through breast cancer treatment. The group decided the proceeds from the event would support Komen.
“I started looking online and came across the page for Go Pink for the Cure,” she said. “It was the perfect fit for our event because it let us create our own fundraiser to end breast cancer and funnel all the money directly to Komen without handling a lot of cash donations.”
How a Swim Team United to Support Komen’s Work to End Breast Cancer
Team members solicited donations in advance of the Swim-A-Long, through a flat donation or set amount per lap swam. “On average, kids will swim between 40 to 60 laps. Some of the more advanced swimmers will feel like they haven’t done much if they don’t get at least 100 laps in an hour,” she said. “Some of the older kids that were there and weren’t planning to swim were challenged by a team mom. She donated 10 cents for every lap they swam. I think collectively, they swam close to 500 laps.”
Creative Fundraising: Swim Caps Fuel Donations to Komen Campaign
For extra incentive, each swimmer who raised a minimum of $25 earned a pink Barracudas swim cap. “As soon as the pink caps appeared, everyone asked where they could get one,” Liz said. “We directed them to our fundraising page. Once they made a $25 donation, they could get their own pink cap.”
Several attendees went live on Facebook during the event, which brought in even more donations as the day went on. Once fundraising was complete, the Swim-A-Long raised more than $8,400.
A New Tradition: Turning the Swim-A-Long into a Family Affair
The Swim-A-Long traditionally has been an event for the swimmers on the team, the 2024 event was a family affair. “One family set up and made breakfast tacos and my husband, the team announcer, served as the DJ,” she said. “It made us realize opening the event up to the entire family is the way to go. There’s already talk about next year and how we can make it bigger and better.”
Passionately Pink: Schools Unite to Raise more than $1 million through T-shirt Fundraiser
The Pasadena Independent School District’s Passionately Pink fundraiser for Komen began in 2004. Over the years, it has steadily grown into a district-wide, month-long T-shirt fundraiser. As a result, it has raised more than $1 million to support Komen’s mission to end breast cancer forever.
Honoring Breast Cancer Survivors: A Special Passionately Pink Texas Tradition
Every October, teachers, staff and students from the district’s 68 schools purchase Passionately Pink-themed T-shirts to support of the campaign.
“We try to create a design the aligns with our district theme that encompasses the idea of our support of Komen,” said Amber Morris, principal of South Belt Elementary School. “The design on the front of the shirts is the same, but the teacher’s shirts feature the names of district staff members who have gone through a breast cancer diagnosis or have passed away from metastatic breast cancer on the back.”
Sarah Smith, a curriculum and instructional specialist with the district, added, “We’re a large district, but we’re like a small-town community. It brings it close to home when you see the amount of people who’ve been impacted by breast cancer.”
Passionately Pink Thursdays: Jeans, T-shirts and Some Friendly Competition
Each school celebrates Passionately Pink Thursdays, where teachers can pay $5 to wear jeans with their T-shirt for the day. Schools also host individual fundraising events, such as walks or dances. The campaign recognizes the top fundraising elementary, middle and high schools at the end.
“It’s become a really big competition for several different campuses each year,” Morris said. “It’s the schools that think outside of the box with their fundraising that are usually the most successful. And sometimes, they’re within pennies of each other.”
Uniting the School Community with Leadership Support
Amber and Sarah credit the campaign’s fundraising success with the support from district leaders, including superintendent Dr. DeeAnn Powell. “She’s a breast cancer survivor and fully supports the campaign every year,” Sarah said. “She’s allowed us to take it district-wide, which allows us to bring everyone in our community together to help support this cause.”
Help End Breast Cancer with Go Pink for the Cure
These stories are just a few examples of how schools, clubs and sports teams are rallying together to raise awareness and provide crucial funds to support Komen’s work to create a world without breast cancer.
