Medway & Millis November 2018

Page 22 Medway & Millis Local Town Pages www.localtownpages.com November 2018
Sports
Millis Volleyball for a Cure Sees 12th Successful Year
By Christopher Tremblay,
Staff Sports Writer
Some 12 plus years ago, a
Millis varsity volleyball player lost
her stepmother to breast cancer.
The squad, under the guidance
of head Coach Lisa Farese, did
what Millis does, they rallied
around the girl and her family
using the school logo “Small
School, Big Family” as inspiration.
“We worked together to create
an alumni match that would support
a scholarship fund. Another
current player created a logo
that would adorn almost a dozen
shirts a year over the past 12
years,” the Mohawk Coach said.
“We then decided, as a team, this
would be our legacy – we would
play volleyball, win some big
games and most importantly, do
for others.”
The team designated one
match a season to be played in
the month of October (Breast
Cancer Awareness Month) as
their focus. This allowed for
more school and community involvement
around the program
as well as the varsity team being
in full control of the event.
With that in mind, the varsity
volleyball players choose the t-
shirt colors and worked closely
with Custom Apparel Inc., of
Medway. In addition to creating,
ordering and selling the
shirts, the girls organized a bake
sale, numerous raffles, a volleyball
serving contest, and a location,
the Dana Farber Institute,
for their funds. Past recipients
include Susan G Komen, the
Cancer Treatment Centers of
America, and one year, a local
family with an individual battling
breast cancer.
One week before the event,
which was held on Wednesday
October 10th this year against
Dedham, the town of Millis was
transformed into a great big reminder
of the upcoming Volleyball
for a Cure event, with signs
throughout Millis High School,
messages sent out to the district,
and even on the electronic display
outside Millis Town Hall.
Student Council members
agreed that those students going
all out with pink for the day will
be given credit toward class competitions.
Volleyball players from
all three Millis teams attended a
team dinner while making their
decorations for their assigned
wall in the gym.
Millis’ annual Volleyball for a Cure is advertised both at the school and
around town.
“As soon as school ended on
the 10th, the players descended
upon the gym immediately to put
up their decorations; parents arrived
to work the raffle tables and
sell various items throughout the
night as the athletes took to the
courts,” Farese said. “There was
a tremendous amount of work
that went into producing one of
the most memorable nights of
the season. If I had to estimate
the monetary value of this adventure
I could confidently say
that we are over $20,000 since
2006.”
During the event, the Millis
freshmen team fell 2-1 to Dedham
despite taking an exciting
first game win 27-25 while the
junior varsity (2-1) and varsity
(3-0) won their games. For the
evening, Farese said they didn’t
have a final tally, but were over
$4,000
The evolution of Volleyball
for a Cure has not only been
something that the Millis volleyball
team holds to heart, but it
has been an inspiration to many,
and its good will should definitely
help the fight for finding a cure
for breast cancer.
One-on-One treatment
Marine Corps League
“Once a Marine, Always a Marine”
Norfolk County Detachment
Meetings held 3rd Tuesday of each month (except July and August)
7PM Norwood V.F.W., 193 Dean Street, Norwood, MA 02062
For Membership Info contact Bill Maguire
617.710.6722