MLHS cheerleaders support cancer awareness

MOSES LAKE - Although Lion's Field is typically dotted with maroon and gold during Moses Lake High School football games, it was a sea of all things pink during Friday night's home game.

Fans donned their best pink outfits and accessories, the stands were covered in pink streamers and balloons and some of the more enthusiastic spectators even sprayed their hair with a pink hairspray, temporarily giving them pink hair.

The MLHS cheer team sponsored their first "Cheer for a Cure" breast cancer fundraiser during Friday's game.

According to cheer coach Mikey Carlile, the team raised over $400 during the game. The funds will be donated to the Columbia Basin Cancer Foundation, she said.

The team sold pink items like mini footballs, beads, ribbons, pom poms and wrist bands. They also helped fans temporarily dye their hair pink for the occasion.

In addition, the team collected about $130 in donations, Carlile said.

Since the team has leftover items that they weren't able to sell during the game, Carlile said they are working on coming up with ways to sell them in order to make more money for the cancer foundation.

She said her cheerleaders were excited to support the cause and raise funds for breast cancer awareness.

"This is something that benefits the community," she said.

Although this was the first year the team raised money for the cancer foundation, Carlile said the goal is to make Cheer for a Cure an annual event.