Volleyball 'Pink Out Game' Supports Breast Cancer Awareness

Shortly after she was diagnosed with last year, 36-year-old Monica Neel Makrodimitris asked friends and family in an email to join "team Monica."

But what started as a casual request for support quickly snowballed into a White Marsh-based non-profit organization, dedicated to putting money and resources directly into the hands of breast cancer patients and survivors, Makrodimitris said.

The "I Can" Team Monica Foundation's latest fundraising event enlisted the help of 's varsity and junior varsity volleyball teams. The teams' annual Thursday afternoon raised funds through T-shirt sales, wristbands and concessions.

The girls, who played against Mercy High School, wore pink tie-dyed socks, pink hair ribbons and pink T-shirts during the game. They also helped decorate the school gymnasium with pink balloons.

"They have been extremely supportive and have been looking forward to this all year," said varsity coach Tricia Panageotou, a personal friend of Makrodimitris. "They have heard a lot about [Monica] and love being able to support this."

Makrodimitris said she found the enthusiasm of the student athletes inspiring. "It's outstanding to see young women behind breast cancer awareness, knowing the importance of knowing their own bodies and supporting other women in their own battles with breast cancer," she said.

Varsity volleyball player Cassidy Keller, a 17-year-old senior, said she was happy to participate in the event.

"There's definitely a lot more people in the audience watching us. Everyone's coming for a good cause," said Keller, who lost her grandmother to a form of cancer. "I like to think that I'm doing it for her, because cancer is cancer and I just want to help out."