‘Pink’ volleyball games take sports to a higher level

Printer-friendly versionSend to friend

Volleyball players from Bishop DuBourg High School, including Savanna Shatto (5), Kelsie Kiser (15) Alex Wirth (14), Sam Benson (23) and Bridget Hacker (16) sporting special pink jerseys, participated in a pre-game ritual before their game against Rosati-Kain.

Rosati-Kain and Bishop DuBourg high schools teamed up to play “pink” volleyball games Oct. 6, benefiting SSM St. Mary’s Health Care Center’s Cancer Care.

The junior varsity and varsity matches were held at DuBourg. Rosati’s varsity topped DuBourg 2-0 to run their record to 12-5. DuBourg moved to 8-7 on the season. Rosati’s varsity won the first set 25-20 and the second 25-11, while Rosati’s junior varsity edged their opponent 25-19 and 25–17.

The schools have teamed up for “pink” basketball games in previous years, but this year’s fundraiser is closer to home. School Sister of Notre Dame Joan Andert, Rosati-Kain president, is undergoing chemotherapy and radiation for breast cancer, with treatments at St. Mary’s. All funds raised at the game, including admission, concession-stand proceeds and more were donated to the cancer care unit in her name.

A service of SSM Health Care-St. Louis, SSM Cancer Care is a dedicated “cancer hospital” — not restricted to a single site, but to six SSM hospital locations across St. Louis and St. Charles counties. Each location offers patient-focused diagnosis, consultation and treatment, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, support services (nutrition counseling, social services and physical therapy), early detection screenings and support groups (see ssmhealth.com/can cer).

Rosati-Kain senior Rachel Elder said, “We wanted to make a gift in Sister Joan’s name, to show our support both for her and for the medical center that’s helping her get well. As a school community, we’re connected by faith, love and a sisterhood that spans generations. We’re inspired by the work that the SSM cancer center does every day.”

Mel Wilson, Rosati associate athletic director, said that the game began as a student-led initiative. “Through this project, R-K students are living one of our best attributes: sisterhood,” Wilson said. “We are lifting up a member of our community and showing that we are truly a family. I am proud to be a faculty member and an R-K alumna.”

Sister Joan called the “prayerful and generous support” of the Rosati-Kain community humbling and inspiring. “The ‘Karing Kougs’ are helping me reach an excellent prognosis, and are helping others through this effort.”

Sister Joan has recently completed chemotherapy treatments, and the cancer is expected to be in remission by December 2011.

DuBourg athletic director Jim Welby said many of the students know each other and “our schools are close, so it’s important for us to help them and show our support. They came together nicely. It was well done by the girls.”

Welby noted that the archdiocesan schools, all-girls Rosati and co-ed DuBourg, have “a very positive rivalry, and it’s always a big game when it’s DuBourg vs. Rosati.”

Julie Anderson, junior varsity coach at Rosati, said one of the highlights of the games was “the dominant energy that we had during both sets, most especially during the second set while on the Rosati side with Sister Joan and our fan base. This gave our varsity team a lot of confidence and vigor while being supported by many of their friends and family so loudly.”

She noted that the Rosati program “has been looking great this year.” The varsity team, coached by Jim Gioia, “has done extremely well in our conference, with our only loss coming in a very tight match against Lutheran St. Charles. We have an excellent chance to finish conference in first place. The JV team has also been doing well. Their most recent success was winning first place in the Barat Tournament” Oct. 8.

Kathleen Schue, marketing director of SSM St. Mary’s Health Center Foundation, praised the generosity, support and commitment that the young women of Rosati-Kain and Bishop DuBourg High Schools provided to help patients of SSM Cancer Care of St. Mary’s. “Proceeds raised from the event will allow us to provide extra cancer-related education and support services to our patients in need.”