On January 25th the CenturyLink Center packed in 18,859 strong to support their beloved Creighton Bluejays in the third annual “Pink Out” game sponsoring breast cancer awareness. Not only did the Bluejays play host to the largest crowd in Creighton Men’s Basketball history in their 76-63 victory against Big East opponent Georgetown, but also raised over $48,000 in the pre-game auction alone in support of funding breast cancer research. Donations continued to pour in as the night went on, resulting in unwavering support from the Omaha community. The amount of money that was raised in this year’s “Pink Out” game exceeded the amount raised in the past two years combined.
Coaches vs. Cancer sponsors this event for many participating universities around the country. Their goal is to promote the fight against cancer, help raise awareness for the cause, and also fund for the overall developments in cancer research.
“If one person realizes that it’s time for a checkup, and the cancer is caught early, and it’s cured than everything we did tonight was worth it. That’s what this is for: to raise awareness,” said head coach Greg McDermott in the postgame press conference.
Year three of this event has brought incredible attention to the university, the Creighton Men’s basketball program, and also the fan base. The fact that this game attracted the largest crowd in Creighton Men’s Basketball history really meant something special for both the players and the fans.
“It was great to see the largest crowd in school history come together on a synonymous night for breast cancer awareness. It shows how not only the Creighton students are dedicated to watch their team play, but also the Omaha community is dedicated to support the cause,” said sophomore student Laura Roustio.
“There was definitely community wide support for the cause and you could see it in the sea of pink. The crowd was electric and you could just feel the energy right from the opening tip,” added junior Brianne Lingl.
The program has risen to national prominence over the past couple seasons due to its success playing at a high level against top competition. The move to the Big East Conference has only bolstered the attendance rates. A lot of this is due to the increased competition on the floor, but also as a way to show support for all the work the players do to better the community.
“Our team has to be one of the best teams in the country about giving back to the community. You don’t see many teams taking tons of time, even after a loss, to sign autographs for fans that made the effort to come support us,” said manager Joel Henriksen.
One can only hope that next year’s “Pink Out” game can match the success of this year’s. As the support around the community grows, so does the message behind this remarkable event.
“The basketball game was one thing, but the attention we brought to the need of early detection in the fight against cancer, that was an incredible message tonight,” said McDermott in closing to this record-setting night.