CRESTVIEW — While it's common to see several city youth baseball and softball teams fill Durrell Lee Park on a Saturday afternoon this time of year, one team's uniforms have stood out.
The Crestview Cardinals — a team of 11 boys, ages 11-12 — are raising breast cancer awareness by wearing white and pink T-shirts. The shirts, featuring an image of a bra, promote Making Strides Against Breast Cancer.
"It was actually (Tyler), my son's, idea. I just took it and ran with it," coach Jeremy Southard said. His 12-year-old plays first and third base and the team’s catcher.
The Southards said women in their family have a history of breast cancer. Tyler’s grandmother, Angie Southard, had a cancerous tumor near her brain removed, and had cancer in her uterus.
"They thought they were going to lose me," she said, adding she has been cancer-free for 10 years. She served as the American Cancer Society-North Okaloosa unit’s president from 1996 to 1998.
Her journey, and involvement, helped spark Tyler’s idea.
"So I was thinking … how about we do a breast cancer awareness baseball game," Tyler said, recalling the event’s origin.
Angie Harder and Candice Bellino, volunteers from the Fort Walton Beach ACS office, passed out ACS T-shirts, pins and wristbands for a small donation. They also distributed informational cards.
Saturday's event, which netted $157, was the kickoff fundraiser for the annual Making Strides against Breast Cancer Walk coming Oct. 26 to Destin.
Find it online
Follow the Making Strides against Breast Cancer on the Emerald Coast’s Facebook at http://on.fb.me/101e5k4.
Call 244-3813 for more information.
Contact News Bulletin Staff Writer Matthew Brown at 850-682-6524 or matthewb@crestviewbulletin.com. Follow him on Twitter @cnbMatthew.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview baseball team raises breast cancer awareness