One in 8 women will develop breast cancer. Boise girls basketball takes timeout to join fight
The top-ranked Boise High girls basketball team has won 14 straight games and sits atop the 5A Southern Idaho Conference standings with a perfect mark of 9-0.
But there will be much more than hardwood glory on the line when the Brave host Owyhee in conference play at 7:30 p.m. Friday.
Boise’s 15th annual Pink Zone game will help raise funds for the American Cancer Society. Since their first event during the 2008-09 school year, the Brave have raised more than $36,000 for cancer research. They brought in a record $6,129 at last year’s event, and have a goal of raising even more Friday.
Aside from skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the United States. According to the American Cancer Society, one in eight women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime. Breast cancer death rates have been decreasing steadily since 1989 — for an overall decline of 43% through 2020 — according to the ACS. The decrease in death rates is believed to be the result of finding breast cancer earlier through screening and increased awareness, as well as better treatments, the ACS said.
Still, Idaho ranks 46th out of 50 states for breast cancer screening, according to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.
Boise assistant coach Erinn Della, a 2008 graduate and current math teacher at the school, knows firsthand how important screening can be, and it’s why she’s so passionate about the team’s annual fundraiser.
Della’s mother and grandmother both benefited from early detection. Her mom was diagnosed with breast cancer after a mammogram in 2020, and her grandmother went through the same experience in 2022.
“They found it so, so, so small because they had a mammogram, and they were able to get (the cancer) with just a surgery,” Della said. “They didn’t have to go through any radiation, any chemotherapy because of this early detection. And this detection could not have been found just with self-exam. It was that small.
“Both my mom and grandma are safe and totally cancer free because they found it so early.”
While the Brave recognize their monetary contribution to the American Cancer Society can only go so far, head coach Kim Brydges said the team is equally focused on stressing the importance of annual screenings.
“Part of what we want to do is to educate and encourage people to get screened and/or talk to their loved ones about getting screened,” Brydges said.
As part of “Tip-off Week” leading up to the Pink Zone game, Boise will hold an assembly Friday for its student body, which will include a speaker from the American Cancer Society.
“Our student body is too young for mammograms, but every single one of them knows someone, whether it be their mom, their aunt, their sisters, whatever, that needs to be checked every year,” Della said. “So we’re trying to encourage our kids to encourage their family members to get those annual screenings and try to stay safe.”
Boise raises the majority of its Pink Zone funds through a prize raffle and the sale of custom T-shirts, which were sponsored this year by Del Taco. Shirts are $7, with all the profits going to the ACS. The top prize is two roundtrip tickets anywhere Southwest flies in the United States, and there are 40 prizes in all. Raffle tickets and T-shirts will be available for purchase at Friday’s game, and winners will be drawn at halftime. Della said you do not have to be present to win.
For those who can’t make the game but still want to donate, the Brave have set up an online fundraiser through the ACS. Visit raiseyourway.donordrive.com/campaign/BoisePinkNight for more information.
“I have a huge passion for teaching and coaching and just spending time with my high school community,” Della said. “I love Boise High. I’m an alum and I’m back. Can’t get rid of me. But this aspect of coaching is just a special project that Kim and I are really passionate about. And it’s our whole program that participates in this.
“I talked a lot about how I am reaching out and getting donations and stuff, but every single one of our basketball players is going up in the stands and selling tickets. And every single one of our coaches is reaching out, and our parents are asking for local donations as well. So this is a whole program-wide effort, because we are all united in trying to raise awareness and money to help in whatever way we can.”
