Ten years of cheering, ten years of pink face paint and ten years of raising money for breast cancer awareness. Dominican volleyball celebrates a decade of hosting the annual Pink Game.
Flooding the gym with pink, the student body, parents, faculty and alumnae gathered on Oct. 16 in the Siena Center in support of the fight against breast cancer. Three competitive games, juicy burgers, delicious hot dogs, and auction items for sale raised school spirit while fundraising for breast cancer patients.
During a competitive match against the Chapelle Chipmunks, junior Olivia Peyton and sophomore Brook Jenny block a return during the annual Pink Game on Oct. 16. The varsity volleyball team finished close playing five matches against Chapelle.
(Photo by Kathryn Valldejuli)
The eighth grade, JV and varsity teams played tough matches against Archbishop Chapelle during the Pink Game series. JV was victorious, while eighth grade and varsity fought close matches but ultimately fell to the Chipmunks after five games. Though the games were not all in the “W” category, the fundraising effort was a real winner. This year, Dominican raised $13,503 that will be sent to the Tulane Cancer Center for breast cancer patients.
“It’s so exciting to be able to use a sport I love to change people’s lives,” said Mrs. Jessica Chatellier, head volleyball coach.
The fundraising effort is a vital piece of the Pink Game tradition. To raise money to fight breast cancer and raise awareness, DHS stages auctions and raffles. Tables lined the Siena Center atrium with baskets full of prizes which were raffled off during the game. Businesses such as Kendra Scott, Lululemon and Starbucks contributed to the cause.
Raising over $70,000 in the last decade, Dominican has been the top donor among the 7 schools participating in the Pink Game Fundraiser.
“My favorite part about this event is knowing I’m part of community full of women who are raising awareness for women,” said Mrs. Chatellier. “Everyone in that gym is connected to breast cancer in some way.”
However, the Pink Game wasn’t the only news-worthy happening this season. Mrs. Chatellier celebrated her 300th win in her coaching career on Sept. 6 in a match against Academy of the Sacred Heart.
Reaching her 300th win in her Dominican coaching career, Mrs. Jessica Chatellier proudly stands with the varsity volleyball team. Mrs. Ashlee Juhas (’04), assistant coach, was on the team of Mrs. Chatellier’s first win in 2003 and is part of her coaching staff today. Her favorite memory? “All 300 games,” said Mrs. Juhas.
Alongside Mrs. Chatellier throughout her victories has been Mrs. Ashlee Juhas (’04), assistant coach. In Mrs. Chatellier’s first Dominican win in 2003 – also against Sacred Heart – Mrs. Juhas was a senior on the team coached.
Dominican also celebrated senior Elise Cresson being named to the LHSAA All Academic Composite Team. Students receiving this honor must have at least 4.0 GPA for 6 semesters and have been an athlete for at least 3 years. She was honored at the Division I state final match on Nov. 10 at the Pontchartrain Center.
“I’m very honored to be named to the team,” said Cresson. “I’m very humbled that my coaches thought so highly of me that they nominated me.”
Cresson also appreciates the importance of breast cancer awareness. “The Pink Game is about so much more than volleyball,” said Cresson. “It’s about our entire school community coming together to give hope to those who are bravely fighting breast cancer.”
- Kathryn Valldejuli