Triton Central girls basketball’s highly anticipated “Pink Out” game is Friday in Fairland.
The event is centered around Triton Central’s junior varsity and varsity games against first-time Pink Out participant Indianapolis Roncalli.
All proceeds from the night go to the Indiana Women In Need (IWIN) foundation which is celebrating its 25th year supporting individuals statewide receiving treatment for breast cancer by relieving emotional, physical and financial burdens.
IWIN specifically earmarks Triton Central’s sizable donation to women in Shelby County.
“It all started 17 years ago when Kelsey Larkey and I were looking at a magazine,” said Triton Central athletic director and girls basketball head coach Bryan Graham. “A lot of teams didn’t even do ‘Pink Out’ games. The thought was let’s buy some pink uniforms and raise a little money.”
Triton Central has raised just over $250,000 since then.
“If it’s not the biggest (Pink Out game) in the state … well financially it is the biggest in the state,” said Graham. “No one is even close to what we raise.”
The grand total accumulated in 16 previous Pink Out games is $253,943 – or, on average, $15,871 per outing.
The 2023 event raised $24,166.58.
Friday’s festivities begin at 5 p.m. officially but the set up and decoration of the gymnasium and its accompanying hallway is an all-day affair.
“The decorations start in the morning about 9 a.m.,” confirmed Graham. “Parents and volunteers show up and lots of teachers set it up so kids can help with the posters. Then it gets much busier after school.”
The highlight of the night is the parade into the gymnasium of the two dozen-plus breast cancer survivors in attendance for the celebration.
Dinner for the “special guests” starts at 5 p.m. A silent auction featuring multiple prizes and price packages also opens at 5 p.m.
The junior varsity game between the visiting Rebels and Tigers tips off at 6 p.m. The parade and celebration follow the conclusion of the JV contest.
The varsity game between Roncalli (12-8) and Triton Central (12-7) will tipoff at approximately 8 p.m.
The silent auction will close during the varsity contest and winning bids will be announced in the gymnasium.
In the beginning, Kelsey Larkey’s mother, Connie, was the inspiration for the Pink Out game. She is a multiple-time breast cancer survivor, who was the off-court organizer for the event for more than a decade.
Connie Larkey has since stepped aside from her management duties leaving Graham to rely heavily on Melanie Garrison, Stephanie Collins, Lindsey Hodges and Brooke Lockett to keep the event moving forward.
“I couldn’t do this without their help and support,” said Graham. “This event does such a good job symbolizing the Triton Central community. We all come together to help those in need.”
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