DOWAGIAC — At Friday night’s Pink Out football game, everyone — from the marching band to the cheerleaders, the football team and the fans who filled the stands of Chris Taylor Alumni Field — showed up in pink. 

It accented the Chieftains’ traditional orange and black school colors, while serving as a reminder of the importance of breast cancer awareness within the Dowagiac community.

As October signifies Breast Cancer Awareness month, admission to the game for anybody wearing the color pink was $1. The gate proceeds will be donated to Ascension Borgess Lee Foundation’s Tree of Love campaign. The campaign is an annual charity drive to raise money to pay for mammograms at Ascension Borgess Lee Hospital for local uninsured or underinsured women and men in Cass County. 

Also on Friday evening, after the first quarter of the Chieftains’ football game against South Haven, a $500 check from Honor Credit Union was presented to members of the foundation. 

The Ascension Borgess Lee Hospital’s radiology department, along with representatives from the foundation and Honor Credit Union also accepted donations from fans and attendees of the game.

This year, the foundation has set a goal to raise $12,000. Last year, the foundation raised $9,000.

At half-time, the Dowagiac Marching Band also showed off their competitive show, “Mamma Mia! The Music of Abba.”

Cancer facts were provided to the crowd throughout the duration of the game in an effort to help educate the public about the value of pre-screenings.

As the lights on the field continued to shine, a pink sunset revealed itself in the background as the community came together to support what attendees called a worthy cause.