顶级国产视频

February 16, 2010

Contacts:

Department of Athletics, 657-2369
Dan Carter, University Relations, 657-2269

Student-athlete spearheads fundraising effort for friend鈥檚 mom who has breast cancer

If you go:
Third annual 鈥淭hink Pink鈥� game to raise awareness for breast cancer issues is Wednesday, Feb. 17 at 7 p.m. There is free admission for this game.

MSU BILLINGS NEWS SERVICES 鈥� As a basketball player, she鈥檚 had knee surgery, had chunks of her two front teeth knocked out and had to have a broken nose fixed.

But Rachel Hansen says that鈥檚 nothing compared to the pain and anguish that cancer patients go through on a regular basis. That鈥檚 why the 顶级国产视频 senior was committed to making a difference for a Billings woman who is dealing with breast cancer.

Hansen, a 22-year-old biology major/chemistry minor from Lolo, is the lone senior on this year鈥檚 Yellowjacket women鈥檚 basketball team. When asked by Coach Kevin Woodin to develop a senior service project, she instantly thought of Susan Costello.

Through classes at MSU Billings, Hansen became good friends with Costello鈥檚 daughter, Shae. The basketball player developed a strong bond with the family and grew to truly appreciate the daily struggles and of a cancer patient.

鈥淪he inspires me. When coach put a bug in my ear about a senior project, I thought of Susan,鈥� Hansen said. 鈥淎nd I wanted to do more than just a card and flowers.鈥� 

What she developed was a fund-raising project that put the shooting skills of herself and her teammates to work. Hansen solicited donations from individuals and businesses to pledge set amounts for a 鈥�3s for Susan鈥� effort to help defray medical costs for the family. Each time a Yellowjacket sank a three-point shot during the first six home games, money would go to the cause.

By the time the initiative was over, Hansen and her teammates had raised nearly $5,000 for Costello and her family.

She will present the fruits of the team鈥檚 three-point labors to Costello and her family during halftime of this week鈥檚 鈥淭hink Pink鈥� basketball game. The game, in which the Yellowjacket women鈥檚 team trade their standard home uniforms for pink ones, is Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Alterowitz Gymnasium. The Jackets are in partnership with St. Vincent Healthcare鈥檚 Eva Project, teaming up for breast cancer awareness.

In order to promote better awareness of cancer issues, everyone is admitted free for this game.

The game is MSU Billings鈥� third 鈥淭hink Pink鈥� event, part of a global effort through the Women鈥檚 Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) to help raise breast cancer awareness on the court, across campuses and in communities across the nation.

The event features information on breast cancer detection, research, and local support groups. Local breast cancer survivors such as Costello will be honored at halftime.

As a physical manifestation of their support, the Yellowjacket players and coaching staff will wear pink during the game. From pink shoelaces to pink fingernail polish to pink uniforms, the women鈥檚 basketball team will do its part to raise awareness about breast cancer issues.

Woodin said he鈥檚 proud of Hansen for developing the idea and following through with it. But, he notes, he鈥檚 not surprised.

Community service and outreach are an integral part of his basketball program, he said. Each semester the team gets involved in outreach to the community, whether it is reading with elementary students, paying a visit to the pediatrics wards at the hospitals or doing camps.

鈥淚鈥檓 a teacher/coach and this is important,鈥� Woodin said, who is now in his sixth season as head women鈥檚 coach. 鈥淭he team has a GPA of close to 3.5 and they understand that to be successful in life after basketball, we giving as well as receiving.鈥�

Through the 鈥淭hink Pink鈥� initiatives with St. Vincent Healthcare, the team has gotten to know local breast cancer survivors and developed a deep appreciation of their lives and struggles, Woodin said. Last week the team attended a survivor鈥檚 meeting where women told their stories about battling cancer, support from family and friends.

鈥淚t鈥檚 important for our players to hear those stories,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t puts the game in perspective and makes us feel good about the doing the game to raise awareness.鈥�

For Hansen, who plays with a brace because of an old knee injury and suffered a broken nose and chipped teeth during a December practice, the outreach project has had a lifelong effect.

鈥淚t鈥檚 never something that I would have thought about doing when I came to college,鈥� said Hansen, who is planning to pursue studies in physical therapy after she graduates in May. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been humbling for me. When I think I鈥檓 having a bad day, I think of what Susan has gone through.鈥�

For more information on 鈥淭hink Pink Night鈥� contact MSU Billings Athletics at 657-2369 or St. Vincent Healthcare at 238-6223.

FIRST PHOTO ABOVE: Rachel Hansen, a senior MSU Billings women鈥檚 basketball player from Lolo, spearheaded a project to raise about $5,000 for Susan Costello in her fight against cancer. She and at Costello are at right and Hansen is wearing the uniform for the 鈥淭hink Pink鈥� game this Wednesday.

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