1. Running head: BREAST CANCER EVENT
Breast Cancer Event
Alison M. Kelchen
University of Northern Iowa

2. BREAST CANCER EVENT
2
Pink Night Event
For my volunteer choice I decided to help work at my hometowns’ volleyball
pink night. I am from Edgewood, Iowa and in our community we know several
people that have been affected with breast cancer, may it be them, a family member,
or even a friend. During our pink night we raise money that will then get split
between Delaware and Clayton County Hospitals. Throughout the night, there is a
silent cake auction, which are made by the varsity volleyball players. Also there is a
soup supper and which the soups are donated from businesses in our school district
and this is a free will donation. Before Pink Night approaches’ the volleyball teams
sells shirts in honor of this night and they are also worn at the game for support. The
local bank, Community Savings Bank in Edgewood donated $100 for every ace serve
our team has. We also accept free will donations, which still go to one of the
hospitals. One of the biggest incomes they have is the silent action that is hosted by
the community. Anyone is welcome to put a basket together and put it on the
auction. This activity by far had grown tremendously over the last three years. Once
the money has been added up they split it evenly between Delaware and Clayton
Hospitals and the hospitals then makes as many baskets as they can and give them
to the patient when they are told they have breast cancer. They say the best part
about the basket is receiving a little note inside them from us volleyball players. This
year being our highest fundraising we raised over $10,000 in just one night. With
the t-shirt sales raising $4,000 of that alone, the rest was raised in just one night.

3. BREAST CANCER EVENT
3
Mostly from our community but also the team’s fans we are laying that night.
Another cool thing about this night is the opposing team supports us by also
wearing their pink jerseys and the fans wearing their pink shirts. We all come
together each year to raise money for a great cause and I am proud to say I am apart
of this help!
I selected this to volunteer at because it inspires me every year to raise more
and more money then what we did the year before. Every year the head coach has
someone talk about his or her experience at the varsity game, and this is the number
one thing that inspires me. The fact that us writing a little letter that may not mean a
thing to us can mean the world to someone else. I have actually experienced what I
was hoping to experience the four years I was apart of the letter writing. This year I
finally got to experience what my sister got to experience and many more ladies that
wrote a simple letter. One of my grandmother’s friends had received a basket and
my letter was the letter in it. When she notified my grandma about receiving my
letter and to tell her it meant the world to her absolutely made me feel so much
better knowing something that simple can make someone’s day better when
receiving this horrific news. My sister has been out of high school for three years
now and about a year ago my aunt was diagnosed with breast cancer and believe it
or not, she received my sister’s letter. I think it is absolutely amazing how we can
touch so many people heart by something so simple.
My volunteer experience by helping the past four years at my hometown
pink night and raising money for the breast cancer organization affected me in a
very good way. I can honestly say when I started helping I wasn’t expecting to get as

4. BREAST CANCER EVENT
4
much out of it as I do now but it still was great to help raise so much money in one
night. It made me see how much one organization can help a family out when they
are in such a hard time in their life. Our Pink Night event makes the breast cancer
organization look very helpful. My experience affect the way I view myself because I
think I am a better person for knowing I help at such a great event and I help raise
that money. It also makes me feel good about myself when I think about all of the
letters I have written and people have received. Some of the most important things
that I learned by helping at this event was even the littlest things can put a smile on
someone face. The biggest thing I learned during this event was how such a small
community can come together and make one night so special for everyone and help
raise that much money in just one night! I find it so amazing that a town of 500
people can support everyone so much in our community. Another thing I really like
about this event is on top of all the great things we have going on that night, it also
attracts so many people to come and support all three levels of volleyball in one
night and that’s something I love to see!
I think my experience added, having a respectful behavior to my definition
because while helping people in every which way I could that night I had to have a
respectful behavior at all times. I had to know whom I was working with and adjust
to who it may have been. My definition of civility is the act of showing respect for
others by being polite and having a respectful behavior. I think civility is something
everyone should do/ learn. If you don’t show respect to others how do you expect to
be respected by others? I also think the phrase, treat others the way you want to be
treated could apply to the definition of civility because in reality you do have to do

5. BREAST CANCER EVENT
5
that. I think my definition of civility does a good job at explaining what I had to do
while helping at the breast cancer event in my hometown, for the soup supper I had
to help serve people and also help children and elder people carry their trays and
this was a time where I had to be very respectful and polite to everyone.
I can’t thank my community enough for coming together to help raise this
money for such a great cause and also letting me and multiple other people
participate in this event as well. With a total of raising over $10,00 in the year of
2014 we hope to keep that number going up and up in the years to come!