West Deptford Girls' Basketball Scores Big for Cancer Research

Snow and ice didn’t deter a healthy crowd that filled the home side and about half the visitor’s stands, many of them–including the guys–dressed in pink, or waving pink pom-poms, as the West Deptford High School girls’ basketball team raised more than $2,000 for the Kay Yow Cancer Fund Saturday.

“It feels great, just to know that not only people are out supporting the cause, but they’re supporting us,” said senior Megan Kirschling, who got to know Yow, the longtime North Carolina State coach, when she was growing up. “Through the all the snow and the bad weather, we still had fans, so it’s a good feeling.”

All totaled, the team raised $2,015 through Saturday, getting donations, raising money from selling pink ribbons that festooned the gym, as well as getting money from the gate receipts and concession stand during the game.

Coach J McKeown was blown away by the effort, and said he thought it would've been great if they’d even gotten to $1,000. More than doubling that mark was a huge accomplishment, he said.

“That’s unbelievable,” he said. “I couldn’t imagine it would get up to that.”

Preparations for the game started the night before, as the girls’ team swarmed the gym just after West Deptford’s wrestlers put away Collingswood, tying ribbons on to the bleachers and arranging paper ribbons into two larger ribbons, surrounded by ribbons spelling out “WD” on the baselines.

Bleacher railings were wrapped in pink, and extra paper ribbons stretched the length at the top of each set of stands.

Kirschling said the team couldn’t have gotten it done without widespread support, from students, parents and friends.

“Everyone really just went all-out,” she said. “We got the word out and tried to bring in as much as we could.”