Oct. 1, 2007

Dig for the Cure Website

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - The Wake Forest volleyball team will host its second annual "Dig for the Cure" night to benefit the Susan G. Komen for the Cure as a part of its Oct. 20 match against Virginia Tech.

The Demon Deacon volleyball team will be soliciting donations from sponsors to either pledge money per dig recorded by Wake Forest on Oct. 20 or make a flat donation to the cause.

"Dig for the Cure is an imperative fundraiser for me personally as my mom is a breast cancer survivor," said senior Michael Faulkner. "Her faith, strength, optimism and determination are the attributes that pushed her through her fight, and those are the qualities that Dig for the Cure spreads to other women who are impacted by this destructive disease.

"By coming together, as a women's team, we share the motivation and innovation to help support breast cancer patients and survivors, as well as find a cure sooner. This disease has affected many, but so can we."

Last season, Wake Forest was able to raise $12,067.05 for breast cancer research and awareness. In a three-game defeat of NC State on Nov. 3, the Deacs finished the night with a total of 67 digs, their highest amount in a three-game match all season.

The final total raised was almost 2.5 times the team's goal of $5,000 and was the top amount raised by any participating volleyball program in the country.

"Last year's Dig for the Cure was a great success, and we are again looking forward to this year's," said Wake Forest head coach Heather Kahl Holmes. "It is such an important cause; so many people have been affected by this disease directly or indirectly. We just want to do anything we can to help raise money for the research."

"Dig for the Cure is so important to us because it gives us a chance to use our talents to raise money for a great cause," added junior Jessica Furlong.

The Dig for the Cure campaign was originally started in 2003 by Charlotte head coach Lisa Marston and has spread to numerous other volleyball programs across the country since.

Currently, four of the 12 Atlantic Coast Conference schools are participating in Dig for the Cure.

The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation was established in 1982 by Nancy Brinker to honor the memory of her sister, Susan G. Komen, who died from breast cancer at the age of 36. Today, the Foundation is an international organization with a network of more than 75,000 volunteers working through local affiliates and events like the Komen Race for the Cure® to eradicate breast cancer as a life-threatening disease.

A global leader in the fight against breast cancer, the Foundation fulfills its mission through support of innovative breast cancer research grants, meritorious awards and educational, scientific and community outreach programs around the world. Together with its Affiliate Network, corporate partners and generous donors, the Komen Foundation has raised more than $740 million for the fight against breast cancer.

For more information about breast health or breast cancer, visit the Foundation's award-winning Web site at www.komen.org or call the Foundation's National Toll-Free Breast Care Helpline at 1.800 I'M AWARE® (1.800.462.9273).