By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
October 22, 2012-While orange (for Halloween) might be the color traditionally associated with October, pink has muscled in during the past few years as October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
On October 14, the Peter Collins Soccer Park in Plainview was bathed in pink as the Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL), in conjunction with Estée Lauder, held their Pink Ribbon Day to raise awareness for breast cancer research. The Estée Lauder Company and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation donated over 800 pink ribbon bracelets to members of the nearly 40 Girls-Under-15 teams who played at the Soccer Park that day.
Players and visitors to the Soccer Park also received pink ribbons and brochures with information celebrating the Estée Lauder Companies’ Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign (BCA) 20th Anniversary. The campaign supports The Breast Cancer Research Foundation® (BCRF) which was founded by Mrs. Evelyn H. Lauder.
LIJSL squads from all over Suffolk, Nassau and Queens were at the Soccer Park wearing pink socks, pink jerseys and the pink bracelets.
Additionally, on August 19, a dozen teams of Estée Lauder employees and executives, and local Girls-Under-14 and Girls-Under-15 teams from the LIJSL, took part in a series of friendlies to support the fight against breast cancer.
This was the eighth summer that these friendly games have taken place at the Soccer Park, which is donated by the LIJSL for the event. The $1,700 raised on August 19 adds to the more than $8.5 million that the Estée Lauder Company has raised for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Statistics have shown that one out of nine Long Island women will be diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetime.
Currently, 91 cents of every dollar spent by the Breast Cancer Research Foundation is directed towards breast cancer research and awareness programs. In addition, the BCA Campaign is donating $1 to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation® for every post on the BCA Campaign’s interactive timeline on Facebook during the month of October up to a maximum of $25,000. Visit bcacampaign.com and join at facebook.com/bcacampaign.
With over 1,500 travel and premier teams, the LIJSL is one of the world’s largest soccer leagues and the largest league in the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA).