CFL PINK is back in 2012!

 
As part of CFL Pink, the Toronto Argonauts are committed to the fight to end women’s cancers.

Our October 14 Game will benefit the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation as our players, coaches, cheerleaders and staff unite in the common goals of raising awareness and funds to prevent breast cancer and support those who have suffered from and survived it.

Women’s cancers have touched many in our organization directly and we are thrilled to be able to shine the spotlight on CBCF and their important work.”

 

PINK Promo

2012 PINK A Celebration of Women™ – DISCOUNT CODE BELOW

Password: thinkpink2012

 

The CFL and its member teams are committed to raising awareness and funds to tackle women’s cancers and making a positive difference in communities across the country. CFL PINK is a national campaign that represents the regional efforts of our teams and our dedicated fans.

Inspired by the courageous women and their families touched by women’s cancers, the CFL and its enthusiastic fans host events, raise money, and show their support by wearing PINK each October.

TORONTO — Kevin Huntley can finally pay tribute to his grandmother.

The Toronto Argonauts defensive lineman and other CFL players will be allowed to wear pink-coloured items during games this weekend to help raise awareness for women’s cancers. Huntley created a stir last year when he wanted to don pink apparel for a contest that was being broadcast in the U.S. in honour of his grandmother, an 87-year-old cancer survivor, but couldn’t because it violated the CFL’s uniform policy.

“I didn’t want to create a problem, I just wanted people to know I was dealing with something personally that meant a lot to me,” Huntley said Tuesday. “That was a way I could show my grandmother how much I appreciate her and how proud I am that she dealt with something always with a smile on her face and always in stride and never once complained.

“I’m a football player, this is what I prepare my body to do and I still have days where I complain, I’m sore and tired and don’t feel like dealing with stuff. Yet she went through that and never complained and actually took time out of her day to ask me if I was OK or if I wanted her to make me something to eat. Man, that’s amazing because if anyone had a reason to complain, it was her.”

When Huntley’s grandmother was first diagnosed, it was the hulking six-foot-seven, 294-pound Huntley who took her to the chemotherapy sessions. Huntley, 29, knows that first-hand. When his grandmother was first diagnosed, it was the hulking six-foot-seven, 294-pound Huntley who took her to the chemotherapy sessions.

Reebok will provide CFL players with pink gloves, wrist bands, helmet decals and other items. On-field officials will use pink whistles while coaches and team personnel will wear pink-colored sideline gear.

Pink merchandise will be available for sale to fans at the four games as well as selected Reebok stores. A portion of the proceeds will go to cancer-related charities.

A few Argos wore pink gloves and another donned pink shoes at Tuesday’s practice. But in Calgary, the majority of Stampeders players sported pink chin guards at their workout.

“I’m going to wear whatever they have available for us,” said veteran quarterback Henry Burris. “I’m definitely going to go all out.

“I wear pink every now and again.

Pink is the new black.”

Another Stampeder anxious to wear pink will be long-snapper Randy Chevrier, whose mother is a breast cancer survivor. Chevrier is the club’s PinkPower rep _ which consists of Stampeders players and their fans teaming up with the Canadian Cancer Society to fight women’s cancers. He assumed those duties when veteran defensive back Wes Lysack went to Toronto in the off-season.

“It definitely impacted my life,” Chevrier said. “I’m very thankful my mom is a survivor.

“I know there’s other people that don’t have the same story. Not everybody has a happy ending.”
 
 
 
Chevrier is attempting to raise money with his Twitter followers, doing a random draw and winners receiving the pink gear Chevrier will wear in Friday night’s game against Saskatchewan plus an autographed photo.

Chevrier said it’s OK for men to don pink. “It’s a lot more accepted now, I think it’s fine,” he said. “It’s not like I say ‘Oh, I’m going to wear pink today,’ but if I throw it on, it’s not awkward I don’t think.”

Wearing pink is nothing new for NFL players, who have been doing so since 2009 to promote breast cancer awareness. In addition, game officials and coaches have got involved while the end zones of NFL fields have been decorated with pink helmets, logos and goalpost pads.

However, the CFL’s board of governors prevented its players from following suit because it felt the practice wasn’t part of a more integrated league-wide plan.

“This is a cause that’s very important to our players, teams and the league and is of such stature that we wanted to do it properly,” said Michael Copeland, the CFL’s chief operating officer. “It takes time to put plans in place to give it the due it deserves.

“At this point last year our plans hadn’t taken shape to the extent where we were comfortable launching something. We’ve been working over the past year to put those plans in place for the upcoming weekend.”

Argos offensive lineman Taylor Robertson, who lost his mother to breast cancer when he was just seven years old, agrees.

“It’s not something you can do overnight,” he said.

“I think the league has done a very good job at going about it the right way.

“I know some people have wanted some one-off deals in the past but that’s not the right way to do it. You have to do it properly from Day 1 and that’s what the CFL has done and I commend the league for taking the time to make sure it’s done right and make sure everyone is on board.”

Robertson has taken the fight against cancer personally, having become involved with the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation and launched the Life on the Line campaign, which not only aims to create awareness about the disease but also raise money for research.

Robertson says the CFL’s involvement means a lot to him and he’s disappointed that he won’t be able to don pink on the field Friday the result of a season-ending ankle injury.

“This is the one game I’ve wanted to play in for years in this league so that’s tough,” he said.

 
 
At the same time it’s not about me being on the field wearing pink, it’s about the awareness and having hundreds of thousands of people around the country seeing what we’re standing up for and bringing awareness to it.

“The fact that it’s happening is good enough for me right now.”

But Huntley and Robertson aren’t the only Argos players who’ve been touched by breast cancer as both of Lysack’s grandmothers were diagnosed with it. One lost her battle when Lysack was just 10 years old but the other has been cancer-free for five years.

Copeland said while the CFL’s campaign this year will cover just one weekend the league remains open about expanding it in future.

“When we settled on one weekend, we thought it gave us the most concentration and allowed us to really make it all about the cause as opposed to spreading it over several weeks,” he said. “We will step back after this weekend and review how we think it went and if we think there’s an advantage to spreading it out we will do that.”

PINK Promo

2012 PINK A Celebration of Women™ – DISCOUNT CODE BELOW

Password: thinkpink2012

 

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SUPPORT BREAST CANCER RESEARCH – SEE YOU AT THE GAME SUNDAY, OCT 14