Suffolk Athletics Celebrate a Decade of Pink

On Thursday, October 20 the Suffolk University community celebrated a “Decade of Pink.” More than 300 members of the Suffolk community gathered in the Regan Gymnasium for the “Stand Up for Pink!” event.

For the “Stand Up for Pink!” event members of the Suffolk community united in matching pink t-shirts to form a human pink ribbon at center court of the Regan Gymnasium.

The Suffolk University Athletics Department once again played an integral role in this year’s event as all thirteen Rams intercollegiate varsity sports programs were represented and joined in forming the ribbon.

Throughout the month of October the Suffolk University campus holds special informational and promotional events to raise awareness and show support during Breast Cancer Awareness month. Student-athletes, coaches and other members of the Athletics staff have been on-campus throughout the month handing out informational fliers, bracelets and ribbons trying to garner support for this disease.

The event marked the tenth anniversary that Suffolk and their sports programs have been teaming up to show their support. In 2002 Communications and Journalism professor Norine Bagicalupo initiated a walk from the Ridgeway Building on Cambridge Street that passed through Temple Street and finished on the front steps on the State House on Beacon Street covering Suffolk’s Beacon Hill campus. The event would grow over the next seven years as followers would let off pink balloons at the conclusion of the presentation. In 2009 the event moved to the Regan Gymnasium, located in the Ridgeway Building as those followers, which included students, athletes, coaches, professors, faculty, administrators and survivors came together in the gymnasium for one giant photo to show their support in unison.

Addressing the group on Thursday were Acting President and Provost Barry Brown, Senior Associate Dean of Students Ann Coyne and Athletic Director Jim Nelson. “Our Decade of Pink, with the formation of the human ribbon, is a visible reminder of hope and caring that the University community embraces on behalf of so many,” said Nelson.

Sports Information Director and Assistant Baseball Coach Anthony Del Prete received the annual Pink Tie Award presented to him by Acting President and Provost Barry Brown along with Professor Carol Dine. The award is presented to a Suffolk University male who has demonstrated outstanding support of the Breast Cancer Awareness Month program. Del Prete who has worked as Suffolk’s SID over the past four years has been a part of all ten events dating back to his year’s on campus as a student-athlete. Nelson and Head Baseball Coach Cary McConnell have been past recipients of this award as well.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month is sponsored by Athletics, the Communication and Journalism department, Health and Wellness Services, and Student Affairs.