CLAY COUNTY – Clay County Athletics is proud to announce its partnership with the American Cancer Society and the Jacksonville Jaguars Foundation to promote PINK OUT month.

In conjunction with the NFL’s Crucial Catch Program and the American Cancer Society’s #FirstCoastStrides initiative, Clay County Athletics looks to combine efforts for an outstanding month of fundraising and breast cancer awareness. The flagship kickoff game is this Friday, Oct. 7, at Middleburg High at 7 p.m. as the Broncos welcome the Clay High Blue Devils.

This month at football games, fans and school communities will wear PINK to help raise funds for breast cancer awareness on the First Coast. Also, football players will be wearing special Crucial Catch decals on their helmets from the Jaguars Foundation in support of the cause. Many schools are doing individual fundraisers to help support the cause.

The month gets capped off with the #FirstCoastStrides event on Saturday, Oct. 22, at TIAA Bank Field.

Other schools that will host PINK OUT football games include Orange Park on Oct. 7, Clay, Fleming Island, Keystone Heights and Ridgeview on Oct. 14 and Oakleaf on Oct. 21.

In 2022, approximately 290,560 people will be diagnosed with breast cancer. The American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer® movement is helping to save lives from breast cancer nationwide. Since 1993, the 3- to 5-mile noncompetitive walks have collectively grown into the nation’s largest and most impactful breast cancer movement providing a supportive community for courageous breast cancer survivors and metastatic breast cancer thrivers, including caregivers, and families alike. This year, Making Strides Against Breast Cancer celebrates its 30th anniversary and will take place in more than 150 communities nationwide.

Currently, the American Cancer Society is funding more than $76 million in 174 different breast cancer research grants – which means we invest even more in breast cancer research than we raise through Making Strides. The American Cancer Society’s commitment to health equity includes a $50 million investment in research to help understand cancer inequalities and create strategies for overcoming them.

To date, ACS has provided 3.2 million education and outreach interventions in under-resourced communities through CHANGE grants to improve screening rates, and responded to more than 1.4 million calls and live chats through its 24/7 cancer helpline.

The death rate from breast cancer dropped by more than 40% from 1989 to 2018 because of earlier detection, through both increased awareness and mammography screening, as well as advances in treatment.

Be sure to follow along on all social media platforms @OneClaySports.