This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

Local Soccer Teams Invite Community to Help Kick Breast Cancer

A breast cancer awareness fundraiser will be held by U-11 teams on Oct. 28.

The Rainier Valley Slammers and The Fury, two local U-11 soccer teams, are scrimmaging to help the Susan G. Komen for the Cure organization kick breast cancer.

The teams are inviting community members to their charity soccer match-up at 7 p.m. Oct. 28 at the Auburn Riverside High School athletic field. Admission is a donation of $5 or more.

This is the second year for the fundraiser, initiated by Rainier Valley Slammers coach D.J. Pogson. Last year, the event raised $2,500. This year’s goal is $4,000. All funds raised go directly to the Susan G. Komen organization.

Find out what's happening in Bonney Lake-Sumnerwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The Rainier Valley Slammers is an Auburn Youth Soccer Club with team members that come primarily from the Sumner, Bonney Lake and Auburn areas. Last year the team played another team from the same club. This year, the slammers reached out to the Franklin Pierce Youth Soccer Club in hopes of gaining a broader support base.

Many of the girls are playing in honor of family members or friends who have been touched by breast cancer.

Find out what's happening in Bonney Lake-Sumnerwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“It means a lot to me because my grandma and my other grandma and my aunt have had breast cancer and are survivors,” said Sidney Stratton, 10, of the Slammers.

Even team members who are not directly impacted by the issue were inspired by breast cancer survivor and Sumner resident Nancy Dumas, who spoke to girls on both teams during a kickoff event. Dumas was diagnosed Nov. 13, 2008 and had a double mastectomy five weeks later, on her 44th birthday.

Though Dumas shared incidents like walking through the store and feeling judged because she was bald and flat-chested, she stressed the need to find positivity in such experiences. Dumas said incidents like that made her a more empathetic person and have given her the ability to become an advocate for other women who are diagnosed with breast cancer.

“I want them to know things sometimes happen, and how we choose to deal with them makes a huge difference in the outcome,” said Dumas. “My cancer has given me way, way more than it ever took away from me.”

Dumas hopes her story will inspire the girls to deal with life’s challenges and to overcome fear when such challenges come their way in addition to inspiring fund-raising efforts.

Rainier Valley Slammers team manager Heather Rowan said the girls are gaining a life lesson on their ability to contribute to a cure along with a better understanding of breast cancer by participating in the fundraiser.

 “I would like these girls who are 11 years old to grow up and someday fundraise better than us,” she said.

At this year’s fundraiser, community members who attend have many opportunities to support the cause. The event will feature a halftime raffle with donated items ranging from restaurant gift certificates to hand-crafted items such as a birdhouse and a blanket that has both soccer team logos on it. The teams also are selling donated baked goods.

People also can donate to the teams’ breast cancer memory wall, which has been travelling to various Auburn Youth Soccer Club events. Donors decorate paper ribbons that are placed on the wall to honor people who have gone through breast cancer.

Pogson plans to make the fundraiser an annual event.

“We want it to keep growing and have more teams participating,” he said. “Each year we want to make it bigger and raise more money.”

 If You Go:

To buy a ticket prior to the event, contact Heather Rowan at via email at Sandh95@aol.com or call 253-732-5616.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

More from Bonney Lake-Sumner