T-shirt to benefit breast cancer patients

By ZACHARY FITZGERALD
zfitzgerald@daily-review.com
MORGAN CITY — Anyone wanting to order a T-shirt for the annual Paint the Pit Pink volleyball game Oct. 16 between Morgan City and Berwick high schools has until Wednesday to turn in order forms.
“Paint the Pit Pink” has normally raised anywhere from $14,000 to $20,000 to benefit breast cancer patients in St. Mary Parish, Morgan City High School teacher Judith Hidalgo said. Hidalgo coordinates T-shirt sales for the event.
Morgan City High School Volleyball Head Coach Christy Theriot started the event in the Morgan City area six years ago. She was at an LHSAA coaches’ clinic one summer, and a coach suggested she start the event at Morgan City High School, Theriot said.
Theriot enjoys watching the community come together for the benefit of those who have breast cancer, she said.
The T-shirts for the events are always a different design each year, Hidalgo said. The school and volleyball teams make no money off the event, Theriot said.
All of the money that we raise stays within the parish for patient care, for gas to get to their treatments, for the treatments themselves, for nutritional supplements, for prosthetics and wigs. Anything that a breast cancer patient would have to deal with that possibly the monies are not available for them through insurance,” Hidalgo said.
Gas cards are one of the biggest needs for cancer patients because of the amount of travel needed for cancer treatments, Theriot said.
Breast cancer survivor Anna Hebert of Amelia will be the honorary server for the game. Hebert is the grandmother of Morgan City volleyball players Layne Reynaud and Abby Reynaud. Her other granddaughter, Courtney Reynaud, is on the dance team. Hebert is an eight-year cancer survivor.
Cancer is something you have to go through to understand, and there’s a lot of people out there that are your support,” Hebert said. Breast cancer does not have to run in someone’s family for someone to get it, Hebert said. “Eighty-five percent of the people that do not have cancer in their families can possibly end up with cancer,” she said.
Berwick will also have an honorary server for the game, but the person has not been chosen, Berwick Volleyball Head Coach Heather Blanchard said.
 “We are excited to have the community come together for a great cause and are looking forward to a great matchup with Morgan City,” Blanchard said.
Students are selling $1 raffle tickets to raise more money for cancer patients, Theriot said. More than 30 businesses have donated items to be raffled off.
All money raised from the event goes to the Louisiana Foundation for Cancer Care/Oncologics in Morgan City and Miles Perret Cancer Services in Lafayette, Theriot said. Louisiana Foundation For Cancer/Oncologics is the only cancer treatment center located in St. Mary Parish, Theriot said. Miles Perret Cancer Services comes to Morgan City once a month to treat patients, she said.
Schools throughout the parish participate in the T-shirt sale, Hidalgo said. Key Club and Beta Club also participate in the event.
Event organizers hope to sell about 1,000 T-shirts, Hidalgo said. The event is Morgan City High School’s only school-wide supported philanthropic event, Hidalgo said.
Between the freshman, junior varsity, and varsity volleyball games there will be activities for fans, such as trivia games, Theriot said.
T-shirts are $10, and those who wear the “2013 PINK Be a Hero T-shirt” get free admission to the game. Order forms to buy T-shirts are due Wednesday. Make checks payable to Morgan City High School and return to Morgan City High School c/o Christy Theriot.