Number of Participants: 72
Hours Donated: 4
Value of Time Served: $2,434
Event Amount Raised: $5,100
Event Type: Health & Medicine
Sport: Field Hockey
School: Saratoga Springs High School
Date: October 15, 2021
Location:
Saratoga Springs High School
Blue Streak Boulevard, Saratoga Springs
Saratoga
About:
Toga Pink Games :
We have been holding this event for the past 20+ years to bring awareness of breast cancer and the importance of getting screened for women but also men. We thought breast cancer awareness is so important because it affects so many in the field hockey community and in general that we highlight it along with our yearly Senior Nights.
Held each year-This is the first year we did not do it in coordination with our Senior nights at the varsity level.
What we do:
Every Saratoga field hockey level when hosting a team in October picks a game to raise awareness and to collect donations for a breast cancer cause.
All of the donations collected go to a local breast cancer program such as last year’s recipient-Saratoga Hospital Cancer Patient Funds which gives gift cards, taxi rides, etc to those that may need it from the community when they are getting treatments . Others we have donated to in the past include To Life in Saratoga, places that make wigs for cancer patients, sponsor a cancer person that needed a wig, etc. It is an important lesson for our players to pay if forward in their lives.
This year’s event hit home to us and went to the next level because our longtime Asst Varsity Coach Beth Chubb Roberts, lost her courageous battle to this disease and fought to the end as a warrior. Coach Roberts was a part of my program, first as a Saratoga player in my program. After graduating from Oneonta she came back to coach 2 years of Saratoga JV, and then became the varsity asst till she lost her battle with cancer this past July. She also coached at Saratoga for a couple of years in our girl’s lacrosse program and at Schuylerville in their girl’s lacrosse program. She was a special ed teacher at Schuylerville, a mentor, union representative, leader, coach, friend, mom and so much more. She paid it forward every day to anyone that crossed her path and lead by example. She taught so many life lessons to us all.
We knew as we were planning this event that this would encompass so many people because of the service Coach Roberts gave to others every day of her life. Our pink games for Mod/JV and Varsity turned into a celebration for the life of Coach Roberts and a start for healing for many of us. We had so many from our extended Field hockey community from past years (some from 20 plus years ago) show up at our Pink game and to give their support. They gave so generously to the Scholarship Fund set up this past July in Coach Roberts name, at Schuylerville, that she taught at. We thought this was the most appropriate place to give our donations this year because it will pay it forward to so many young students for years to come. We know that our extended Saratoga field hockey community is always there for us in time of need and when we celebrate our accomplishments. We talk about our program as being a family forever and they showed just that. Our varsity captains shared a tribute at our JV halftime. They also shared a very emotional one at varsity halftime which included Coach Roberts son being a part of it. Our shooting shirts for the season, have her name on our back so we can pay tribute and honor her each game. Her love of flip flops are on the fence gate as you enter the turf field as a tribute to her. The messages on them include some of the important lessons she shared with us on and off the field. We ended our night of celebration with sky lanterns to release positive energy, thoughts, get a closer to our coach and to help us heal. Many of our field hockey community stayed and enjoyed with us. It was a start of closure and a new beginning to be the change for the future.
We have raised so far over $2000 dollars for that Scholarship fund from our JV/V pink game, another $300 from our Mod pink game and the money is still coming in as of today. It is a testament to how strong our field hockey community is and a tribute to a strong leader that was such an important figure in our program and in the communities around us. If we count our mini pink game that we held a couple of weeks ago when our JV played Schuylerville, we will have collected over $2800. That pink game was done with the Schuylerville FH varsity players and our Varsity players doing a 50/50 raffle set up at the last minute at that game. Coach Roberts reached and touched so many lives in her lifetime.
Mod teams (2 teams) – 30 players
JV-21 players
Varsity -21 players
Many hands went into setting up/taking down, spreading the word on social media platforms, preparing and buying the decorations, brainstorming ideas, etc.
Plus team moms, present coaches, and past coaches/past FH families all helped to make this a success. Also, one of our past FH parent donated handmade personalized mugs and personalized handmade stickers to use with the donations. I’m very fortunate to have such a deep FH base.
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On October 31st with an appearance at halftime of the Class A game, as they present their donation of $2,230 to the Beth Roberts Memorial Scholarship at Schuylerville High School.
