The Tigers are going teal for Saturday’s game against Mississippi State.
The LSU softball team, along with friends, supporters and survivors, participated in the fifth annual “Geaux Teal Strikeout Ovarian Cancer Walk” on Saturday.
LSU coach Beth Torina started the Strikeout Ovarian Cancer game in 2012 and Geaux Teal was formed. Torina felt that she could spread awareness, not only to the 20 girls that she coaches each year but to the state of Louisiana.
The Geaux Teal organization hopes to “increase education and overall awareness” of the disease, their website says. They encourage testings, screenings, as well as an increased knowledge in family medical history in hopes of one day curing ovarian cancer.
This year’s walk featured a record breaking crowd of over 800 participants and raised over $50,000.
The annual event gives the LSU softball team an opportunity to take a step back from the game of softball and raise awareness for the “silent killer” of women around the world.
“I think that it is something that we look forward to,” Jaquish said. “It’s not like ‘oh we have this thing in the morning.’ It’s just such a blessing to see stuff outside of softball and to play for something bigger than ourselves and i think that it definitely helps us with the game.”
Six weeks after the first “Strikeout Ovarian Cancer” game, the first walk featured 201 people and every year since has seen an increase in both participation and fundraising.
“I just feel like an event like that is so gratifying,” junior pitcher Carley Hoover said. “It’s just so amazing to hear these stories and everything. They’re here and they want to see us play and they want to see us win. To be able to share a moment like that with these women and their families is just really cool.”
The Tigers see Geaux Teal as a time to not worry about softball and minor things, but to honor those women who have fought and are fighting ovarian cancer. No matter the outcome of the game, the Tigers feel that this was a success.
“Tomorrow we’re going to play hard, we’re going to do everything we can but tomorrow is a win,” Torina said after Friday’s game. “Just getting these people out here and supporting these women. So many people cheer for us all the time, we’re going to cheer for other people. It’s a win, no matter what happens on the field.”