DURHAM, N.C. – The Duke swimming and diving teams will join eight other Division I programs across the country in the fight against breast cancer during the season-opening meet against Pittsburgh Oct. 3. The Blue Devils are leading the effort to raise support through the Breast Cancer Awareness POD Meet, an inaugural philanthropic competition to benefit breast cancer research. All profits raised Oct. 3 at Taishoff Aquatics Pavilion will be donated to the Duke Cancer Institute, to be earmarked for breast cancer research.
Who is involved?
The Blue Devils will be joined by men’s and women’s teams from Boston College, Florida State, Kansas, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Tennessee, Texas A&M and UCLA in the philanthropic competition. The teams will hold their breast cancer awareness meet at their respective home pools during the month of October. A listing of the meets and organizations each team will fundraise for can be found below, and will be updated as more information becomes available.
| School | Date of Meet | Charitable Organization |
| Boston College | TBD | TBD |
| Duke | Oct. 3 vs. Pittsburgh | Duke Cancer Institute (earmarked for breast cancer research) |
| Florida State | Oct. 3 vs. Minnesota | Sharon Ewing Walker Breast Health Center, Tallahassee |
| Kansas | Oct. 23-24 vs. Denver & Missouri State | KU Cancer Center |
| Notre Dame | Oct. 30 vs. Michigan State | American Cancer Society of Mishawka |
| Ohio State | TBD | TBD |
| Tennessee | TBD | TBD |
| Texas A&M | Oct. 30 vs. Incarnate Word | Pink Alliance |
| UCLA | TBD | TBD |
The Contest
Each team will ask for a $5 entry donation per person on the day of their designated October home meet. The teams will also sell pink t-shirts promoting breast cancer awareness at the meet for $15 apiece. Teams will subtract the cost of their t-shirts from the meet entry fees and t-shirt sale profits for a final team total. That amount will be donated to the team’s designated charity.
The Stakes
The team boasting the largest profit will earn a $9,000 “pot” for their chosen breast cancer organization. The pot will be comprised of funds contributed by nine donors, as each team is responsible for finding a donor to provide $1,000 towards the overall total.
Donations past admission fees and t-shirt sales will be accepted, but will not be included in a team’s fundraising total.
The Blue Devils are proud to have a pair of Duke swimming and diving alumnae as their donors in Catherine (’12) and (’15) Conklin.
The Mission
Duke and the eight partnering programs are joining together in the fight against a disease that impacts so many.
“My wife being a 13-year survivor of breast cancer, I think this is an incredible cause,” said Duke head coach Dan Colella. “[Assistant coach] Jesse Moore’s idea of putting together this challenge involving a number of universities brings to light to a very important thing in life that so many people deal with. We want to be supportive of that. We’re excited to be a part of this cancer awareness event next weekend, it also being the kickoff to our 2015-16 collegiate season. We hope to fill the stands – we want to be the school that has the biggest fan base and who is going to receive the funds to put towards cancer research here at Duke.”
“The Duke Cancer Institute is excited to be on hand for next Saturday’s Breast Cancer Awareness swimming and diving meet,” said Kathi Warren, Executive Director of Duke Cancer Institute Development. “The event is a great opportunity to promote the support and education of the cause in a competitive and fun atmosphere. We hope to see many people come out and join in the fight against breast cancer!”
How to Help
Come support the cause at Duke’s season opener Oct. 3 in Taishoff Aquatic Pavilion! The Blue Devils are hoping to pack the stands and sell as many t-shirts as possible in order to meet their goal of winning the $9,000 for the Duke Cancer Institute. Representatives from the Duke Cancer Institute will also be on hand to provide information about early recognition, checkups and mammograms and how to support those with breast cancer.
Wear your pink proudly and be a part of the fight to end breast cancer!
Swimming news courtesy of Duke Swimming & Diving.