Published: Monday, October 15, 2012 1:07 AM CDT

Although many schools across the state don’t directly teach their students about breast cancer and ways to prevent it, they do bring up the topic in other ways.

One of the big reasons why Yankton High School (YHS) officials do not bring up the topic much in its classes is because health classes were cut out of the budget several years ago.

“We don’t do anything specific at YHS regarding the teaching of breast cancer in and by itself,” said YHS principal Wayne Kindle. “Breast cancer awareness and education has been a national focus for a number of years and high school students are very aware of this health concern.”

YHS students and faculty members still participate in fundraisers to help raise money and awareness about the disease.

“Over the past several years, we have done a number of fundraisers at high school for breast cancer awareness, prevention and education,” Kindle said. “We have also provided some families resources raised by our staff and student body.”

At the YHS home volleyball match on Oct. 16, there will be another example of how students and faculty come together to raise awareness and funds to fight the disease. The YHS volleyball team will participate in a ‘Dig Pink’ night. The match will begin with the freshmen and junior varsity matchups against Sioux Falls Roosevelt at 4:45 p.m., with varsity set for 7 p.m. at YHS.

“Every year for about the last four years, the high school volleyball team has held a ‘Dig Pink’ night,” said Amy Long, YHS freshman volleyball coach. “In volleyball there is a statistic called a ‘dig’; hence the ‘Dig Pink’ night name. We use the fundraiser as a way to promote breast cancer prevention.”

Long said that in previous years, speakers have come in to talk with members of the team about breast cancer awareness and prevention.

“The main focus of the night is raising funds for breast cancer,” she said. “In years past, we’ve donated to Susan G. Komen South Dakota affiliates, with about $1,000 a year donated. Girls on the team have also received pledges for a donation of a certain amount of money per statistic recorded.”

This year and last, however, the team has held a bake sale to raise money for breast cancer.

This year the fundraiser takes on a special new meaning.

All of the proceeds the team raises on Oct. 16 will be donated to the teachers at YHS that are currently battling breast cancer. The donations will be used to help the teachers’ medical costs and transportation to and from treatment.

“It’s a way to get girls in high school aware of breast cancer and help out others,” Long said.

Long said that one of the most emotional parts of the Dig Pink fundraisers has been when girls know family members or friends that have had breast cancer and share their stories with each other.

“It’s all a matter of awareness,” she said. “We show these girls that we can all do something to help others.”

This year’s event may be even more emotional because many of the girls on the team have either had these teachers in the past, or know them because they teach at YHS.

“We can show our support for the teachers by raising money,” Long said. “The girls will be wearing their pink uniforms, which were donated to us several years ago.”

She added that the girls get excited for the event and show a lot of enthusiasm for it each year.

“It’s important that we show them that every little bit helps,” Long said. “The event shows people they care and are working to help current and former teachers battling breast cancer.”

Players and coaches are asking people attending the game to wear pink, donate baked goods to the bake sale (items can be dropped off outside the YHS gym starting at 3:15 p.m. Tuesday) and buy something from the sale.

You can follow Andrew Atwal on Twitter at twitter.com/andrewatwal