Southampton Field Hockey Program Raises $5,400 For Local Cancer Foundations Through Multiple Fundraising Efforts

The Southampton and Pierson/Bridgehampton field hockey teams came together for more than just a match Friday night.

Southampton has held a “pink” game for over a decade in observance of October being breast cancer awareness month.

“I believe it basically was started because so many people in the school community, whether parents, teachers, staff, were being affected by breast cancer. So they started raising money to pay for meals and stuff to be sent home. So it would raise a couple of hundred bucks through bake sales and stuff like that,” Southampton varsity field hockey head coach Jackie Trelease explained.

But when a schedule change made the Mariners pink game coincide with its homecoming game on a Friday night, they decided to do it up big.

The field hockey program ran multiple fundraising efforts throughout the season leading up to Friday night with help from a lot of people, starting with junior varsity coach Nick Epley. Epley, according to Southampton varsity head coach Jackie Trelease, volunteered his services with the Rotary Club at Southampton Elementary School to hold a car wash and lemonade stand in town. The varsity girls helped out the elementary students at both events and both groups had a lot of fun doing it, Trelease said.

At the high school, the field hockey program sold T-shirts and had a donation bucket at every homecoming night game last week. After all was said and done, the program raised $5,400 to donate to local cancer foundations that support local families, Trelease said.

For Friday night’s game itself, the teams invited cancer survivors and fighters down to the turf to stand with them during the National Anthem and receive a round of applause from the crowd, which was on hand to see both local teams and friendly rivals play. Then, at halftime, a memorial walk took place for those who lost their battle. Trelease said that it got a little emotional.

“Basically, now the bar has been set, so next year they already are talking about how now they have to raise $6,000,” she said of her players. “Hopefully, the momentum continues and we can get all of the fall teams involved.

“I just think it’s a cool thing to do,” Trelease added. “The high school kids help the elementary school kids, then they see each other at an event and they know each other. Nick invited those young kids and their families to the game. We had some of our middle school players up on the turf helping us with pregame announcements. Everyone is always so busy with their own stuff, it was nice to just get the community to the turf for a good cause and it gives something for the younger kids to look forward to.”

Although the game became almost secondary, there had to be a winner. Pierson wound up taking the game, 3-1. The Whalers scored all of their goals in the first half. Meredith Spolarich, Mia Gangemi and Cali Wilson all found the back of the cage. Daelyn Palmore put Southampton on the board in the second half.