The Ridgefield Raptors finished their two-game non-league homestand with a 13-0 victory over the Northwest Star Nighthawks during a night that meant more than just the game of baseball.
The Raptors, a wood-bat collegiate summer baseball team in the West Coast League, champions partnerships benefiting nonprofit organizations each season.
On Thursday, July 16, the Ridgefield Raptors wore pink jerseys for the sixth annual Pink Lemonade Night Jersey Auction presented by Waste Connections, honoring breast cancer survivors and supporting those impacted by breast cancer. All proceeds of the jersey auction benefit the Pink Lemonade Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating, empowering and supporting community members of Oregon and Southwest Washington affected by breast cancer.
Ann Berryman, chief strategy officer for the Pink Lemonade Project, said the organization’s mission has continued to grow each year, allowing it to reach more communities and provide additional resources for those affected by breast cancer.
“We’re expanding our reach into unique communities, rural communities, underserved communities,” Berryman said.
“We’re engaging in some unique projects in the faith community and community health worker profession, but I think really at the end of the day we are serving more people each year with all of our programming, whether it’s education and outreach, screening partnerships, and then financial assistance and post-treatment medical treatment support.”
The nonprofit serves area residents in numerous ways, but without funding, those efforts would be next to impossible.
“We’re really excited about the fact that we get to serve more people from southwest Washington and Oregon, and that is our ultimate goal, is to serve more people, help improve understanding and education, as well as trying to increase access to health care,” Berryman said. “And at the end of the day, that will help us create more survivors, will help lengthen lives and quality of life, and that’s our ultimate goal.”
The annual fundraiser with the Ridgefield Raptors plays an important role in making that possible.
“This event helps us do that every year,” Berryman said. “The community comes together and raises a lot of funds for us, and it’s incredibly heartwarming because we can turn around and help a number of people.”
Berryman added the partnership with the Raptors extends well beyond a single baseball game. Awareness for Pink Lemonade Project’s goals is captured through social media, fans and season ticket holders who look forward to the jersey auction year in and year out.
Each year the design of the jersey is different, this year, the jersey was entirely a vibrant pink color.
“The jerseys are the biggest deal because the jerseys are so cool, but they’re very unique from one year to the next,” Berryman said. “The players really enjoy getting to make a difference for the breast cancer community.”
For Berryman, the annual sporting event is also about reconnecting with supporters.
“I love seeing people that I saw from the previous year, continuing the conversation, checking to see how they’re doing, and just continuing to build relationships,” she said.
Looking ahead, Berryman said the need for community support remains as important as ever.
“I think we’ve got some real challenges in Washington. Screening rates are down significantly, and younger women are being diagnosed with more aggressive forms of breast cancer,” she said. “This is a time for community to really come together, because also we’re losing resources at the national level for screening. And so how do we fill those gaps? And this is where we really need community to join us in this endeavor.”
To learn more about Pink Lemonade Project, visit pinklemonadeproject.org.
