Alabama Gymnastics’ Power of Pink Traditions Celebrate 10th Year
2/14/2019 5:30:00 PM | Gymnastics
The Crimson Tide has been introducing breast cancer survivors prior to the meet as well as turning the town pink in celebration of the Power of Pink since 2010
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – In addition to being its 15th annual Power of Pink meet, this Friday's Alabama gymnastics contest with the Florida Gators marks another pink milestone as the Crimson Tide continues one of the most uplifting moments of the Alabama gymnastics team's annual breast cancer awareness event.
For the 10th year in a row, Alabama gymnasts will forgo their usual introductions during the pink meet and will instead come into the spotlight in Coleman Coliseum with a special guest. Tony Giles, Alabama's longtime public address announcer, will introduce each gymnast by name and then he will introduce a breast cancer survivor.
Two at a time (and this year, in some cases, three at a time), gymnast and survivor step up onto the Circle A platform in the middle of the Coliseum into the pool of light when their names are called and then fireworks explode as the crowd, clad primarily in pink, recognizes each survivor. It adds tremendous poignancy to an already inspirational night.
 "The Power of Pink is hands down my favorite meet every year," junior Shea Mahoney said. "It's so much more than gymnastics, it's so much more than the leotard you have on and the bow in your hair. It's so much more than any score or any outcome. It's doing it for those incredible ladies standing next to you. It's doing it for her, it's doing it for every person who has fought the fight and is fighting the fight.
Mahoney, who volunteers at the DCH Manderson Cancer Center, along with her teammates and coaches are also excited to honor the caregivers - the doctors, nurses and all who make a difference in the fight against the disease – when they are recognized prior to the meet.
Another aspect of the Tide's breast cancer awareness initiative celebrating its 10th anniversary is the tradition of coloring the town pink. What started with University of Alabama art professor Craig Wedderspoon and a group from the University lighting the front of Coleman Coliseum pink prior to the 2010 Power of Pink has grown year-by-year.
Wedderspoon and his cohorts, along with Alabama's Facilities & Grounds Operations crew, have once again lit the Coliseum pink, along with several campus and Tuscaloosa landmarks.
This year's pink installations includes Coleman Coliseum, the Sarah Patterson Plaza, the UA Nursing School, the UA Recreation Center, the Woods Quad Sculpture Garden and the Stran-Hardin Arena on campus as well as the DCH Manderson Cancer Center, the Bama Theatre, Tuscaloosa City Hall, Chuck's Fish, the Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center, FIVE Tuscaloosa, Harrison Gallery, River Market and the Kentuck Mosaic Sign.
Tickets to Friday's Power of Pink meet are available through the Alabama Ticket Office (205.348.2262) located in the lobby of Coleman Coliseum, and online at RollTide.com.
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.
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