Pink Out Day Comes to Jannarone Park

To mark breast cancer awareness, Little Viking Football will go pink, and area youngsters will get a lesson in caring for others.

On Oct. 15, the Parsippany youth football league teams up with the Montville Broncos for a “Pink Out” football jamboree. That Saturday, the leagues will face off in six games. Additionally, throughout the event, both teams will sell pink T-shirts they created to promote breast cancer awareness. Proceeds from shirt sales and donations collected during the games benefit the Leslie Simon Breast Cytodiagnostic and Treatment Center at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center. Money raised will be used to provide free breast cancer screening and mammography services to people who do not have health insurance.

Little Vikings Vice President Mike Pietrowicz said that during the halftime ceremonies at each of the six games, breast cancer survivors and people currently battling the dreaded disease will be invited out onto the field with their families to be  recognized by all of the fans in attendance.

"We have purchased hundreds of pink toy footballs. These footballs will be given out to our fans during each game by our cheerleaders," Pietrowicz said. "Our goals are to raise awareness about breast cancer and about the importance of regular screenings. We also want to support Englewood Hospital and Medical Center, a longtime supporter of our football program."

Pietrowicz pointed out another benefit of Pink Out Day.

"It will instill the values of caring for others [and selflessness] in our young boys and girls," he said, adding that the Parsippany Little Vikings and the Montville Broncos strive to give kids character education as well as training in football skills. 

Saturday's Pink Out Day starts at 8:30 a.m. at Parsippany's Jannarone Park, Cranberry Road and Walsh Drive. Visit the Little Viking website (look at the drop-down menu under Teams in the left sidebar) for the various game times and field assignments.