2nd annual game supports The Hormel Institute’s cutting-edge breast cancer research

Pink Packers and Cougars will converge on Hass Stadium this Wednesday night to raise awareness of breast cancer and support for The Hormel Institute’s cutting-edge research against the disease.

The 2nd annual “Pink Out Night” fundraising night will happen Wednesday evening at Hass Stadium before and during the Austin Packers football game at 7 p.m. against the Mankato East Cougars. A tailgate party with food and beverages for sale will run from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. prior to the game on the east side of Hass Stadium. Raffle tickets also will be sold for various prizes.

Players from Austin and Mankato East will wear pink under their jerseys and pink socks in honor of those who are battling breast cancer and those who lost their life to the devastating disease. Everyone attending the game is encouraged to wear pink to show their support for The Hormel Institute’s breast cancer research and raise awareness about the importance of early detection to save lives.

“It’s our hope to pack the stands with pink,” said Bonnie Kilpatrick, a parent member of the Austin Packer Football Booster Club who is one of the event’s organizers. “The two teams may battle on the field but, on this night, they will unite for the fight against breast cancer.”

Kilpatrick was one of the Booster Club members who helped launch the inaugural “Pink Out Night” a year ago, raising nearly $800 for The Hormel Institute’s world-renowned breast cancer research. Donations will be accepted at the stadium’s east and west entrances as well as throughout the evening.

All proceeds from “Pink Out Night” will go 100 percent toward directly funding breast cancer research at The Hormel Institute.

Wednesday’s “Pink Out Night” football game will highlight the partnership between the football team and community with The Hormel Institute in an effort to find a cure for breast cancer, Kilpatrick said.

Pink “Two Teams Unite for One Fight” T-shirts have been sold as part of the fundraiser, and a limited number of this year’s shirts still might be available for sale at the pre-game tailgate party Wednesday, Kilpatrick said.

October is observed internationally as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, with pink associated with breast cancer.

Money raised by the 2nd annual “Pink Out Night” game will count toward the overall fundraising goal of the 2014 “Paint the Town Pink” initiative in February to raise awareness and support for The Hormel Institute’s breast cancer research. A few other PTTP fundraisers started their efforts this month.

The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, is a world-renowned medical research center in Austin, Minn., focused on discoveries leading to the prevention and control of cancer.

In July 2013, The Hormel Foundation announced a $23 million commitment toward The Hormel Institute’s next major expansion set to break ground in 2014. The expansion will add needed laboratories and space for its International Center of Research Technology. The Hormel Foundation will provide $13.5 million in funding as a match to the State of Minnesota’s bonding for the expansion and an additional $9.5 million for recruiting top scientists, equipping labs with state-of-the-art technologies, and creating a cutting-edge environment for progressive cancer research.