Michigan Softball Helps Make Strides for Breast Cancer
11/3/2010 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Nov. 3, 2010
As most Michigan softball fans know, when head coach Carol Hutchins sets her mind to a task, it's likely to get accomplished -- and it certainly won't be done halfway. So, when the Wolverine leader decided to rally her team around a cause close to many hearts several years ago, it's not surprising that the U-M program's efforts have been met with rousing success.
Every year, for the past four years, the Wolverines have reserved one fall morning to participate in the annual Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event, plodding the three-mile course around Ann Arbor's Gallup Park with more than 4,000 other walkers. And while the walk itself is largely the focal point, it is merely the culmination of -- and reward for -- weeks of fundraising and awareness efforts. This fall, the Michigan softball program raised $18,465 among its 39 team members, while in all, the 2010 Ann Arbor event raised nearly $336,000 for the American Cancer Society.
"This is a cause that affects everybody you know either directly or indirectly," said Hutchins. "I believe that as privileged members of the University of Michigan softball program, it is our duty to give back to our university and our community. It's one of those things that you instill in our kids. The longer they are in the program, the more they understand that. It is our duty to do what we can. This cause has become something that the kids get excited about, and it's an event that once we undertake it, our goal is to win it. We want to do the best we can, and although we came in second in the team category, I thought we did a great job."
"Those walks are educational," said junior Amanda Chidester. "It makes you realize how many people are affected by breast cancer. My grandma survived breast cancer twice, so it's an especially rewarding experience for me to be able to give back. We're lucky to be in a position to help. The walk is a great event, and everyone is always excited to see Michigan softball, because we have that name, but we're just like anybody else out there fighting for the cause."
Each member of the Wolverine team sets an individual donation goal. Many goals are lofty, ranging in upwards of $500 or $1,000, and many Wolverines annually reach or exceed their expectations. As first-time participants in 2007, the Wolverines went into the event without a donation goal in mind. While filling out the team's profile page several weeks prior, assistant coach Jennifer Brundage simply listed $5,000 under the category heading. The amount was met within just a few hours. In that first year, the U-M softball squad led all participating teams in total contributions with an $18,572 total.
Over its four-year participation in the annual Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk, the Michigan softball program has raised almost $70,000 and ranked among the top local fundraising teams every year.
"The very first year we got into this we smashed through with almost $20,000," said Hutchins. "It has been a little tougher the last couple of years because of the economy and there is limitations to how much people can give these days. It is our goal to do the best we can and teach kids more than anything to get outside themselves. I think it is reflected by certain age groups performance as far as raising money. I was really proud of the seniors. Jordan Taylor really persevered to win. I'm pretty sure her goal was to beat me."
"I heard from her every day I came into the room," said Taylor. "She'd say, 'I'm going to beat you,' and I'd say, 'No, you're not.' It's a lot of hard work. We're still in the young and invincible stage, so for a lot of us, I don't think we can really comprehend quite how many people are affected by breast cancer. But it's taken a lot of family members from a lot of different people. The walk is a great experience. It's lot of fun, and we interact with a lot of people. It's a great opportunity for us to get out in the community here."
Michigan's involvement with the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer organization has evolved over the years. In 2007, U-M teamed with intrastate rival Michigan State to present the Strike Out Breast Cancer home-and-home series. Michigan applied a pink coat to Alumni Field for the event, displaying pink jerseys and socks, faceguards, bases, eye "black," belts and wristbands on the umpires and a pressbox painted pink, and combining the ticket and T-shirt sales with the monies generated through the U-M jersey silent auction, it raised more than $15,000.
Last spring, the Wolverines debuted the Michigan Women's Softball Academy. Modeled after the successful Women's Football Academy, initiated in 2000 by former U-M football coach Lloyd Carr, the softball edition included a three-hour instructional clinic, featuring lessons on how to successfully throw, hit, pitch, catch, field and run the bases, as well as games, a social mixer and silent auction.
The inaugural event was a quantified hit, drawing 84 participants and raising nearly $30,000.
"The one thing we learned," said Hutchins, "which is pretty much what I expected, was that the whole thing was less about softball and more just about people. Because of the people that came, the energy that they brought and received, the event was just unbelievable and we had a lot of fun. The average age was well over 40-50, and so many of those women questioned whether they could actually walk on our field and play softball, but they left fully empowered. It was such a great event for our kids. They were outstanding -- their energy, their passion to teach the game. I was very proud of everyone involved; it is one of the best events I have ever been a part of."
The second annual Michigan Women's Softball Academy is scheduled for Thursday, May 12, 2011. Visit www.msoftballacademy.org to register for the event and to learn more about the academy. For additional information, please contact Tamara Rummel at 734-971-4300 or tamara.rummel@cancer.org.
