WVU Breast Care Center and Bonnie’s Bus receive nearly $6K from Powder Puff Football Tournament
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Female students from Liberty, Bridgeport, Lincoln, and Notre Dame High Schools in Harrison County and Lewis County High School have donated nearly $6,000 to the West Virginia University Betty Puskar Breast Care Center and Bonnie’s Bus from their Fight Like a Girl Powder Puff Football Tournament at Bridgeport High School on April 21.
Tournament participants raised the money by charging admission to the event; selling food, T-shirts, basket raffles and breast cancer ribbons; and through a cheer-off, in which the male students dressed up as cheerleaders for a competitive half-time performance.
In the powder puff version of football, the girls play football while the boys cheer. The idea originated with Dani Robey of Clarksburg, who came up with the idea after having family members diagnosed with breast cancer. Robey graduated from Liberty High School last year and passed the organization of this year’s event on to Haley Maree of Liberty High School.
“I know that through this tournament, we are not only helping people affected by breast cancer today but also those affected in the future,” Maree said. “It’s hard to say how many students in our high schools might get breast cancer someday.”
“On behalf of the Bonnie’s Bus program, we are most grateful for the donation and impressed that high school girls would dedicate themselves to breast cancer screening,” Sara Jane Gainor, director of Bonnie’s Bus, WVU’s digital mammography center on wheels, said. “These funds will help us reach many West Virginia women who otherwise would not have access geographically or financially to mammograms.”
During the tournament, Michael Hogan, M.D., a radiologist at the Betty Puskar Breast Care Center, spoke to attendees about the services the Breast Care Center provides and how it works in conjunction with the Bonnie’s Bus Program at WVU.
The money raised from the tournament will be split evenly between the Center and the Bus.
“We chose to give our donation to the Breast Care Center and Bonnie’s Bus because we believe it’s important to support local facilities that provide great breast health care services,” Maree said.
The Powder Puff Tournament has raised more than $8,600 for breast care services at WVU over the past two years.
Photo caption:
Haley Maree of Liberty High School presents a check to Dr. Michael Hogan of the Betty Puskar Breast Care Center.
Tournament participants raised the money by charging admission to the event; selling food, T-shirts, basket raffles and breast cancer ribbons; and through a cheer-off, in which the male students dressed up as cheerleaders for a competitive half-time performance.
In the powder puff version of football, the girls play football while the boys cheer. The idea originated with Dani Robey of Clarksburg, who came up with the idea after having family members diagnosed with breast cancer. Robey graduated from Liberty High School last year and passed the organization of this year’s event on to Haley Maree of Liberty High School.
“I know that through this tournament, we are not only helping people affected by breast cancer today but also those affected in the future,” Maree said. “It’s hard to say how many students in our high schools might get breast cancer someday.”
“On behalf of the Bonnie’s Bus program, we are most grateful for the donation and impressed that high school girls would dedicate themselves to breast cancer screening,” Sara Jane Gainor, director of Bonnie’s Bus, WVU’s digital mammography center on wheels, said. “These funds will help us reach many West Virginia women who otherwise would not have access geographically or financially to mammograms.”
During the tournament, Michael Hogan, M.D., a radiologist at the Betty Puskar Breast Care Center, spoke to attendees about the services the Breast Care Center provides and how it works in conjunction with the Bonnie’s Bus Program at WVU.
The money raised from the tournament will be split evenly between the Center and the Bus.
“We chose to give our donation to the Breast Care Center and Bonnie’s Bus because we believe it’s important to support local facilities that provide great breast health care services,” Maree said.
The Powder Puff Tournament has raised more than $8,600 for breast care services at WVU over the past two years.
Photo caption:
Haley Maree of Liberty High School presents a check to Dr. Michael Hogan of the Betty Puskar Breast Care Center.