Hundreds in the community turned out to support the third annual Pink Out for Black at Claiborne High School.

This year, the game was held on Saturday night, January 22 and being held on a weekend did not stop supporters from showing up.

Pink t-shirts, pink pants, pink jackets and any other pink material you can think of could be seen in the Claiborne High School gymnasium.

Pink luminary bags lined tables in the multi-purpose along with a slide show of faces of those who have battled cancer.

“This is such a great cause,” organizer Becky Crutchfield said, “Every year more people show up to support this event.”

Pink Out for Black began in 2009 as a way to bring cancer awareness to the surface for students and a way to pay honor to Karen Black, a CHS teacher who lost her battle to breast cancer in 2008.

Each year the school raises money for cancer research as well as to replenish two scholarship funds. In Black’s honor, the CHS Beta Club developed the funds after Black passed away. One of for a graduating senior and the other is for Black’s son, Mikey, who she raised alone. Mikey now lives with Black’s sister and was honored during halftime of the varsity boy’s game.

The Claiborne Bulldogs faced up against the Union County Patriots and between games, a pink out event took place.

After the junior varsity boys game, Bernice Tennyson of Hair Etc. cut the hair of participants who volunteered to donate their hair to Pantene Beautiful Lengths campaign which is then donated to cancer patients for wigs.

Claiborne High School teacher Shawn Peters donated his hair for a second time, he first donation was made in 2009.

The Claiborne High Dance Team performed a routine that was prepared for the game that was a mix of songs from the popular movie Grease.

Both cheerleading teams performed a routine together on the floor that encouraged supporting pink out.

“We have worked very hard on this,” cheerleading coach Lisa Cox said, “We showed up at 9:30 and practiced all day.” The junior varsity boys and varsity girls won their games against the Patriots but the varsity boys fell to the Patriots with a score of 53 to 49.

Plans are in the works for next years Pink Out for Black.