For the members of the girls' volleyball team at Eastern York High School, the sport offers a way not only to practice their passion on the court but also to make a difference in the lives of others. The team recently participated in a Pink Out game to raise funds for a local breast cancer organization.

"A lot of girls on the team and the coaches as well have firsthand experience with breast cancer affecting their family members or people they know," said senior player Kya Hubler. The team decided to sell Pink Out T-shirts to raise funds for Pink Power, a York-based nonprofit. Team members' moms also made baked goods to sell at the Pink Out game, with proceeds going to Pink Power as well.

The Pink Out game was held on Oct. 4 against Northeastern High School. Before the game, the team members presented a check for $2,000 to Pink Power. The final amount is expected to be closer to $2,600 after all proceeds from the bake sale and a teacher dress-down day are tabulated.

"We wanted to do this to raise awareness of the fight against breast cancer, but also to raise awareness of the team and bring the community together for the game," said senior Brooklyn Camara.

Kelsea Storm, a senior player, said the volleyball team works well together. "We've really improved throughout the year," she stated of the 22-member team. "I think we just keep getting better."

Junior Taylor Sawmiller emphasized that the Pink Out game was just one of many fundraisers that sports teams at Eastern hold throughout the year. "Eastern is a very community-oriented school," she said. "There's so much great support for our team, for other teams and for organizations in our area."

Pink Power was founded in 2017 with the mission of raising money and awareness for breast cancer-related causes. Head coach Kristie Bunn chose the organization, noting, "I wanted to be sure we went with a local charity so that all of the money would benefit people in this community." She said the girls fully embraced the idea of the Pink Out, the first event of its kind for the team, and found support in some unexpected places.

"I was extremely impressed by the girls' enthusiasm," Bunn remarked, adding that members of the Northeastern team participated in the fundraiser by purchasing T-shirts from Eastern. "They are a league opponent, and they supported us, so that was really nice to see," she said.