At their annual Fall Classic, the Grand Valley State University women’s golf team usually distributes tee gifts to the teams participating, but this season the Lakers wanted to use their home tournament as an opportunity to raise money to help support cancer patients.

“Instead of giving tee gifts, which is something normally each team gets from the hosts of a tournament, we decided to take that money and donate it to the Gilda’s Club,” senior Sarah Hoffman said.

With a goal of raising money for cancer support and awareness in mind, the Lakers designated their home tournament in October as a “Think Pink” Event.

GVSU raised $2,000 throughout its Fall Classic to benefit the Gilda’s Club of Grand Rapids, a local organization that provides support to those battling cancer.

Aside from not purchasing tee gifts, the Lakers raised money through entry fees and received donations from Michigan Turkey Producers, Eggland’s Best Eggs, Forest Hills Foods and Heeren Brothers Produce.

The Lakers presented their donation to the Gilda’s Club on Feb. 4. The idea for the charity event was sparked after several Lakers competed in tournaments benefiting cancer.

“We’ve played in a lot of ‘Think Pink’ tournaments, so we wanted to make our own tournament,” said junior Ashley Beard. “Cancer affects a lot us and a lot of the team, so we all kind of agreed we wanted to keep (the donations) local.”

The team saw “Think Pink” as a chance to give back to people in the community who are fighting against or have been affected by cancer.

Hoffman said the team realized that giving away towels or hats as tee gifts was not really going to change the lives of their competitors. However, the services Gilda’s Club provides patients battling cancer can be life changing.

After presenting the money to the Gilda’s Club and taking a tour of the organization, a few Lakers have a desire to return to serve as volunteers in the future.

“A lot of the girls on the team are going into fields where they want to serve people,” said Hoffman, who is studying nursing. “They offered opportunities to volunteer there, and I know a lot of the girls, including myself, want to volunteer with them in the future. “

For GVSU head coach Rebecca Mailloux, events such as the “Think Pink” Tournament play an important role in helping student-athletes maintain the balance of life on and off the golf course.

“There is a bigger picture out there,” she said. “It’s not just about playing collegiate golf or going to class every day … It just shows them the appreciation people have for their donation or community service.”

After raising $2,000, an amount that exceeded Mailloux’s expectations, the Lakers are hoping to continue to raise awareness and support for the fight against cancer.

“All of us really liked the event,” Beard said. “I think we definitely want to make it a tradition to make our fall event a Think Pink Tournament.”

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