On Tuesday, October 19, 2021, the Oakdale High School volleyball team had a fundraiser for the Side-out Foundation. The Side-out Foundation is an organization that works with volleyball teams all over the United States to raise money towards breast cancer awareness and research for a cure for breast cancer. 

The founder’s mother was diagnosed with cancer. At the time the founder, Rick Dunetz, was a volleyball coach. Dunetz established the Side-out Foundation not only to share his mother’s story and raise awareness but to work to find a cure for breast cancer. Dunetz included his love for volleyball into curing breast cancer. 

The fundraiser is called Dig Pink. Dig Pink is “a fundraiser for breast cancer, and we all wear pink. It creates awareness for breast cancer.” stated Ireland Payne, a Junior and volleyball player at Oakdale. 

Payne explained, “We are hosting an event where everybody wears pink, a lot of people show up, and we have fun activities to raise money.”

Gabby Barth, a Senior and a team captain of the volleyball team at Oakdale, commented, they have planned, “raffle tickets for baskets, and the ticket money will be donated.” 

Payne goes on to say,  “We are having a serving contest to get the crowd involved.”

The volleyball team is hoping to raise “an estimate of $600,” added Barth. 

At the end of the game the Oakdale volleyball team raised over $2000 dollars and are still making money from selling T-shirts. 

“Breast cancer is a very big thing that affects a lot of people, so the fact that this foundation is helping to fight breast cancer is great!” Payne exclaimed. 

The Side-out Foundation works with anyone from middle school volleyball teams to National Collegiate Athletic Association to adult leagues. The Side-out Foundation has worked with schools like St. John’s College who raised $1500 for breast cancer awareness. Not only are players pleased to be working with the Side-out Foundation but so are coaches and parents.

The Oakdale Volleyball team has worked annually with the Side-out Foundation before, but after having to put Dig Pink on hold in the 2020-2021 season, they are happy to be able to work with them again. The Side-out Foundation has raised over $15 million for “Side-Out’s metastatic breast cancer clinical trials” by working with the Oakdale high school volleyball team and many more.