By Eric Maki
Community Post

When the Minster Lady Wildcats volleyball team meets the New Bremen Lady Cardinals volleyball team at Minster Middle School Thursday, Sept. 27, it won't be business as usual. The usual friendly "Route 66 rivalry" will be a little friendlier? and a little fiercer this year as the two teams come together for a good cause: fighting breast cancer.

"My mom was affected by it. She passed way the first game of the year last year with breast cancer," Minster junior varsity coach Cindy Nelson said. "After given the challenge presented to us [at a volleyball coaching conference] we decided this is something the community's been affected by, lots of people on the team have been affected by, so we decided to help out."

The Lady 'Cats and Lady 'Cards will be participating in the Volley for the Cure program being conducted by high schools statewide. The programs began last year in Cincinnati with the Sycamore and Loveland High School volleyball teams using their varsity match to raise money and awareness for breast cancer research and the disease itself.

"We wanted to play someone close, somebody that would draw a good crowd. We wanted a good rival and we knew that we could do it with New Bremen and they would work with us and put on a good event," Nelson said.

During the event the girls will be wearing special pink and white uniforms and hitting pink and white volleyballs while the refs will be allowed to wear pink polos and use pink whistles. In between matches, special games will be played, including a serving relay game, where for $1 participants can attempt a serve into a cart on the other side of the net to double their money. A "giant spandex race" will also be held between the final varsity match using students from both New Bremen and Minster High Schools.

A bake sale, 50/50 raffle and activity for Minster Elementary and Middle School students will round out the event with all proceeds going to cancer research. Breast cancer survivors will also be honored at the event.

"I think sometimes [the kids] get so caught up in [their world] and I think it's good for them to look outside their world and remember that there are others out there that are affected by this disease and that it's good to take time to give to the community and others," said Beth Monnin, a volleyball mom helping to coordinate the event.

In addition, special Volley for the Cure T-shirts are being sold to raise funds, with $1 of the cost of each shirt donated to breast cancer awareness. The shirts are bright pink with white lettering and allow students to enter the game free of charge. The shirts start at $6 for an adult small and can be ordered by e-mailing or by contacting the Minster school offices at 419-628-2324.