Alabama
Florida
Alabama Gymnastics’ Power of Pink Meet Rolls into Coleman Coliseum this Friday
2/14/2019 10:57:00 AM | Gymnastics
Alabama faces No. 2 Florida in the Crimson Tide’s 15th annual Power of Pink meet, bringing awareness and support to the fight against breast cancer
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – It is a meet that Alabama gymnasts and coaches, as well as the West Alabama community, looks forward to all year long. This Friday, the No. 9 Alabama gymnastics team welcomes No. 2 Florida to Coleman Coliseum for the Crimson Tide's 15th Power of Pink meet.
"The culture of our team is about giving back to others," UA head coach Dana Duckworth said. "The Power of Pink meet, every year, allows us to use the platform of gymnastics to celebrate the women who are fighting breast cancer, for the survivors who have beat breast cancer and to remember those who have lost their fight."
The Power of Pink initiative - started by former Alabama head coach Sarah Patterson in 2004 and expanded to include all Alabama women's sports in 2009 - helps raise awareness in the fight against breast cancer.
There will be pink t-shirts given away as well as pink shakers. The meet also brings Fried Friday to Coleman Coliseum with the first 500 Alabama students through the doors receiving boxes that will include mac and cheese bites, jalapeno poppers, chicken fingers, mozzarella sticks and French fries.
Tickets are available through the Alabama Ticket Office (205.348.2262) located in the lobby of Coleman Coliseum, and online at RollTide.com.
Starting in Coleman Coliseum, pink meets spread across the nation and to all sports in the years since. Patterson said at the time of the Power of Pink's inception, "I realize that I am very lucky, not only to be healthy, but also that I have access to excellent medical care. Not everyone is so fortunate, and I wanted to do something that would help those who need it most."
Patterson picked the Alabama vs. Auburn meet on Feb. 4, 2005 as the first Power of Pink meet and asked everyone to mark the date and to, "think pink, wear pink and Roll Tide."
Since that first meet, the numbers have been staggering. Over the past 14 years nearly 200,000 fans have filled Coleman Coliseum for Power of Pink meets, including a standing-room-only crowd of 15,162 against Florida in 2006, which is an Alabama and Southeastern Conference record, as well as matching sell-outs of 15,075 in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2014.
The Power of Pink/DCH Breast Cancer Fund went over $1 million in the fall of 2010 through its annual fundraisers – A Nite on the Green and the Tuscaloosa Toyota/DCH Foundation Golf Classic. This past fall saw $125,000-plus raised for the fund. Two checks will be presented Friday night during the meet – one designating the amount raised since last year and another for $2 million covering the total amount raised to this point.
For all the latest information on Alabama gymnastics, follow BamaGymnastics on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook and head coach Dana Duckworth on Twitter and Instagram at @UACoachDana.
