By Diane Hasili
The 2012 PINK Tournament hosted by Pink Ribbon Softball, Inc. and the Hamilton Hurricanes raised $60,000 to support breast cancer related programs and services. Funds were donated to two local organizations – the Breast Cancer Resource Center at YWCA Princeton and Susan G. Komen for the Cure Central and South Jersey Affiliate.
The event, which started in 2006 with 17 teams has grown to a record 82 teams participating in this year’s tournament. The purpose of the tournament is to encourage and engage the area youth fastpitch softball participants to fundraise for breast cancer research and to help spread breast cancer awareness to those they reach in their fundraising efforts.
The 2012 top five fund raising softball organizations were the Marlboro Pride, Hamilton Hurricanes, Jersey Nightmare, South Jersey Gators, East Windsor Thunder Black, and the Jersey Bandits of Bordentown.
Tara Lavin has been the driving force behind the tournament since the beginning. “As the tournament director, she has been unwavering in her commitment to increasing awareness of breast cancer and supporting local breast cancer organizations that provide education, screening and patient/survivor support services,” says Kara Stephenson, Director of the Breast Cancer Resource Center at YWCA Princeton.
This year’s participating teams – over 1,000 players – gave a tremendous effort in their team fund raising goals and brought breast cancer awareness to their local areas. “These girls worked hard selling t-shirts, holding hit-a-thons, making pink bracelets, hosting bake sales, and washing cars to raise their team donations,” states Lavin. She adds, “We are deeply honored and are extremely grateful to our players for joining us in supporting the needs of our local community. Our players are the embodiment of community spirit."
“The fast-pitch players are all winners. Through their participation, we know that they themselves are learning about the importance of mammograms and the incidence of breast cancer right here in their community,” Stephenson adds.
For four decades, the Breast Cancer Resource Center it has provided crucial services to help women through all phases of breast cancer – from diagnosis, through treatment, remission, and even recurrence. Long recognized in the community for its quality support services, it has become a model for similar facilities across the country.
Survivors point to the center’s support groups, counseling, and peer support network as important facets of their recoveries. Being able to connect in a safe, nurturing environment, is pivotal to many women. Offerings extend to financial assistance, information resources, a guest speaker series, and a wide variety of mind/body wellness classes including zumba, yoga, nia, strengthen & stretch, and water exercise.
To find out more about the Breast Cancer Resource Center at the YWCA Princeton, or to make a donation, visit www.ywcaprinceton.org/bcrc or call 609-497-2100 ext. 346/349.

