Every Breast Cancer Awareness month, the school organizes a varsity football game called the Pink Out game. Before the game begins, student athletes and their relatives walk across the football field, hand in hand, while others cheer. This ceremony was created in order to honor these athletes’ relatives who have battled or are still battling breast cancer. 

“I found out about the game through my son,” Trish Underwood, Mother of Cy Falls MOB leader, Jordan Underwood said. “He told me to suit up for the game and come show up.”

Unlike J. Underwood, in order to surprise her mother, Sky Dancer Danyel Haze, secretly signed her mother up as a participant in the ceremony.

“Not a lot of people know that she had breast cancer, not like she’s trying to hide it,” D. Haze said. “It’s something that she likes to spread awareness for. Anyways, I want her to be recognized [as a survivor] because she is such a strong woman, she doesn’t let anything hold her back.”

Shortly before D. Haze’s birth, her mother was diagnosed and survived breast cancer. Watching her mother from a young age deal with the aftermath of surviving cancer, which normally includes hospital check-ups every six months for five years as well as routine mammogram and ultrasound screenings, created an admiration that became apparent for her mother with the surprise at the game. 

“It was really amazing and awesome, I felt I was about to cry, pass out, or all of the above,” Iris Haze said. “It was just really nice to be honored because, honestly, sometimes I forget I’m a survivor. To be recognized by my daughter, who remembered that I’m a survivor, and then to be a part of something like this is really really really magnificent.”

The ceremony itself was created not just to honor people like I. Haze, but, in the words of T. Underwood, it’s an opportunity for breast cancer fighters to share their stories. 

“I am currently in the monitoring phase and taking treatment for five to ten years,” T. Underwood said. “I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2019.  I have hormone estrogen driven breast cancer and am a beatitude gene patient. I have gone through everything from chemo to radiation to multiple surgeries. [throughout the cancer journey]

you have to know that your family always got your back.”

Besides the ceremony, the game itself was created to spread awareness for breast cancer. According to Austin American-Statesman, 42% of women, in the U.S. alone, don’t know when they should be screened for breast cancer. Events such as the Pink Out Game, could get the information to these women before it’s too late.

“My aunt passed away from breast cancer, and it’s because she didn’t know about it,” D. Haze said. “However, my mom knew about it in its earlier stages and was able to be cured from it. I think it’s great to spread awareness so people will check for the early stages and go and get help immediately, since it’s not easy to cure, especially when at the fourth stage.”

Close relatives of the student body were not the only ones to be affected by breast cancer, even those in the staff, such as Testing Aide Susan Young, have recently been cured from breast cancer.  

“Well, early detection saved my life,” Young said. “I’m sure that any one who gets a good physician and gets the proper diagnostic techniques done will ensure their success with fighting cancer, prolonging their lives.”

Aside from Young, the game was also created in order to honor the breast cancer fighters outside of school. 

“It’s an honor to play for such a big cause,” Rogers said. “Because it not only can affect those close to you, but people all over the world.”