The 19 Castleton women’s hockey players skated out onto the ice for their second annual Pink the Rink event with pink skate laces, stickers on helmets, pink tape on their sticks and new pink jerseys that have already been auctioned off. When the fund-raiser was over, $7,031 had been raised for the Rutland Regional Foley Cancer Center, specifically for breast cancer.

“That’s what makes our fund-raiser unique is that we keep it local,” said Bethany Torrice, head coach of team.

Pink the Rink started last year. Torrice got the idea from her alma mater, Utica College. This year, others got involved to raise money for breast cancer research. The nursing department sold 200 pink shirts resulting in $600 to give to the hockey team for the cause, said nursing department lab coordinator Kelley McAfee.

The department also ran booths where they sold hand-made winter goods including scarves and mittens.

There was also a raffle of two quilts, one of which was made by the library staff.

The library’s quilt was originally an unfinished project of Media Center Director Karen Sanborn’s aunt who died of breast cancer.

Sanborn pitched the idea to the library staff to finish the quilt and they decided to help, said Ginger Johnston who worked on the quilt along with Franny Ryan, Sandy Duling and Lauren Olewnik. These five women worked on the quilt during their lunch breaks October until just before the game.

The group is already working on another for next year.

“Castleton is wonderful. They bring so much to the community,” said Lynn Rose, a nine-year breast cancer survivor who came to the came with her friends from her support group.

The support group is run out of Foley Cancer Center and survivors say they relied on group members to help get them through their ordeal.

“The meetings can be fun,” said Rose.

But they don’t just sit and talk.

Rose and her group have gone snowshoeing and kayaking together.

Fellow support group member Pat Pranger, who will be an 11-year survivor in May, thinks that the cancer actually helped her find a lot of nice people that she now calls friends.

Both women emphasized how important it is in life to not sweat the small stuff and to enjoy the little things. That happened just before they got giddy and giggly when they were asked to take a picture with the Spartan mascot.

“If you are going to be sick, do it decently,” said Pranger as parting advice to others who may be afflicted.

For more images from the Pink the Rink hockey games and sales, visit :

castletonspartan.com