Showing support for their community, players on the James Buchanan High School basketball teams honored those who had been affected by cancer. During their games against Waynesboro Area Senior High School on Jan. 23, 2024, James Buchanan commended people who battled cancer in multiple different ways.
“We call ourselves a family as a basketball team,” head girls basketball coach Becky Miller said. “We try to talk about basketball not just being about the basketball part. There’s a lot more to it. It’s a good way to recognize that they are people who have bigger issues than just a basketball game. To honor survivors, people who are fighting, and caretakers who have helped out is a nice tradition we’ve started.”
Before the start of the girls varsity game, people who were impacted by cancer were asked to stand. Each of the girls from the team gave a carnation to one survivor in the stands. Flowers were given out to many different people from the community. The diverse group that received flowers showed that cancer affects all kinds of people, no matter who they are or what they look like.
“The shirts were a cool, unique way to represent the kinds of cancer that people in the community may have had or do have now,” player Ainsley Green (10) said.
Players, coaches, and family members of the athletes wore shirts in recognition of different forms of cancer. They were given the option to pick from a selection of shirts, each made with a certain color signifying different types of cancer.
Upon entry to the gymnasium, a table displayed each form of cancer and its corresponding color. The table also featured ribbons that spectators could pin on their shirts to show their support in the battle against cancer.
“I really enjoyed being honored,” a cancer survivor said. “I think it was very clever. It makes you feel good.”
“I really appreciated being honored,” another cancer survivor said. “It was kind of neat.”
On top of the carnations, those being honored also received a round of applause and words of encouragement.
“It feels great to know that such a little act could have even the slightest impact in their lives,” Green said.
Coming together to celebrate cancer survivors proved motivational to many.
“The game was tough, but these nights are very inspirational,” player Kimber Yeager (10) said. “I’m really glad our team does this because it shows support for our entire community, not just our school.”
Although Waynesboro beat James Buchanan in every game on Tuesday night, spirits remained uplifting as the Rockets continue to host games that honor members of the community.
