The Tonganoxie High volleyball team had a Pink Out match Thursday against Bonner Springs in which the team wore special pink jerseys and put names of loved ones who have battled cancer on a net near the court.

There also was a raffle for prizes that raised $1,025 that took place during the varsity match.

The efforts at THS were in honor of October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Awareness efforts continued the next night with Tognanoxie High School Family, Career and Community Leaders of America members passed out pink ribbon stickers, bracelets and beads at the THS-Louisburg football game, while TMS FCCLA students raised awareness during school.

During the game, football players accented their uniforms with pink. The THS student section was decked out in pink, as were Tonganoxie Elementary School students who participated in the halftime youth cheerleading performance on the Beatty Field track in front of the home crowd.

As part of FCCLA’s awareness efforts Friday night, public address announcer and THS senior Brendan Bowlin periodically shared national statistics about breast cancer, such as:

Roughly half of all breast cancer occurs in women with no specific risk factors except being female and their age.

An estimated 2,800 men are excepted to be diagnosed with breast cancer and 530 will die of the disease this year.

Breast cancer is the most common type of non-skin cancer in women in the United States.

An estimated 43,700 women will die from breast cancer in 2023.

Tonganoxie High volleyball coach Barry Lenth said he was encouraged by the turnout and support at Thursday’s match.

“i was so impressed with how many people were here,” Lenth said after Thursday’s matches. “A lot of raffle tickets were sold. Parents were helping out and it was fun to see the community rally around the cause. There was so much pink in the stands.”

Proceeds from the raffle went to Team Tongie, a Tonganoxie nonprofit organization that helps families in need due to medical emergencies and other hardships.