When people think of October, many think of the start of fall. However, it’s also Breast Cancer Awareness Month and many people, nationwide are doing their part to raise money.

De Soto High School has been doing its part to raise money for research through fundraisers put on by the volleyball team, and DHS marketing classes.

Two ways that DHS helped raise money was through the annual Dig Pink volleyball match, and by the Take A Stance football game against Bonner Springs.

Middle school, high school and collegiate volleyball teams across the nation participate in Dig Pink matches. De Soto hosted Mill Valley on Oct. 4, for the annual match. The first De Soto versus Mill Valley match was held on Oct. 9, 2009, at Mill Valley. Former DHS head coach and now assistant coach Jenny Barnhart started these matches after the split of the high schools, because the two schools never played each other in volleyball.

Volleyball raised funds through t-shirts, face paint and pink hair extensions. These fundraisers have been a tradition since the first De Soto versus Mill Valley Dig Pink match.

The money goes to the Side-Out foundation, the organization that started Dig Pink matches in 2004. The money that the Side-Out foundations gets, goes to the American Cancer Society.

DHS marketing classes, taught by head football coach Tom Byers, started the awareness campaign in correlation with the football team last year, with Tackle It in cooperation with the efforts by the National Football League’s efforts.

“We initiated it to be in conjunction with the NFL’s a Crucial Catch Campaign,” Byers said.

The classes brainstormed ideas and then Byers gave final approval on the name and their approach this year.

The classes raised roughly $1,500 last year and hope to at least match that goal, but hopefully surpass with this year’s Take a Stance campaign.

The marketing class used the varsity football game as their promotion event. The class sold t-shirts that said “Take A Stance” throughout the week and as well as small pink items during lunch.

“I want to team up with all the other fall sports next year and see if we can do something to promote an entire school involvement pink theme,” Byers said.

The funds raised by the marketing classes were not finalized at time of publication.

The volleyball team raised approximately $350 for the Side-Out foundation.