Seminoles, Hurricanes volley to save lives tonight

BRADENTON — It’s about the cause. It’s about bringing recognition to a disease that has wrecked the lives of thousands of women.

It’s about, just that, saving lives.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, and pink is the signature color.

When you enter Southeast Seminoles gymnasium today, expect to see a sea of pink.

Pink uniforms, pink whistles and pink ribbons.

It’s Volley For The Cure.

The Noles are hosting the Manatee Hurricanes in the second annual Volley For The Cure volleyball game, supporting the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

The junior varsity teams play at 6 p.m., and the varsity squads square off at 7 p.m.

Volley For The Cure is a collaborative effort in Manatee County.

Jan DiGirolamo, chairman of the parents board for the event, said Southeast and Manatee players and parents united to sell close to 1,000 T-shirts and ribbons.

“We’ve had a lot of work from the parents. We’ve all pulled together to make mo, whose daughter, Katie, is a standout senior outside blocker for the Noles. “We’ve had parents go out and get sponsors, and we have parents putting together the programs. Everybody is involved with making this a success.”

One of those parents is Helen Hernandez.

Hernandez was an active participant for the cause last year and was at the game.

Then, a few weeks later, she was diagnosed with the disease.

Hernandez, whose daughter, Alyssa, a senior setter for the Noles, wasn’t shocked by her results. Her mother, Dorothy Ghent, died of the disease 10 years ago. Fortunately, Hernandez’s cancer was caught early, but she took an aggressive approach.

“I had both breasts removed,” Hernandez said. “I could’ve had radiation, but you have to look at your options and the side effects of these kinds of things. I wanted to decrease my chances considerably.”

Hernandez said the decision to have a double mastectomy wasn’t hard.

“Just talking with my team of doctors,” she said, “and looking at my chances of the diseases returning, it really wasn’t.”

Manatee coach Jessica Hinkle had an aunt and great grandmother effected by breast cancer and is eager to see a cure come about.

“I definitely want a cure,” Hinkle said. “Any money that we’ve raised and anything that we’ve done to help find a cure gets us one step closer. Everyone is effected by this disease. It’s always important to give back.”

DiGirolamo said more than $3,000 have been raised, that’s without the sell of the last remaining T-shirts and the pink ribbons that will be on sale today at the game.

Hernandez said she’s happy people are being educated on the seriousness of breast cancer.

“I tell me story, so others can say, ‘I need to go get mine checked as well,’” Hernandez said.

“I was very fortunate that mine was caught very early. People don’t need to blow it off like it can’t happen to them.”

 By RYAN T. BOYD - This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it