These Richland High athletes aim to beat breast cancer, one T-shirt at a time

Taryn Webb hadn’t spent much time thinking about the need for screening mammograms.

That’s no surprise. Taryn is in high school, and preventive medical procedures — especially ones that aren’t needed until you’re much older — aren’t generally at the forefront of most teens’ minds.

But the Richland High senior has become an advocate.

She plays basketball for her school, and she and her teammates have made an annual tradition of raising money to cover mammograms for uninsured women in the community.

They help design and sell special pink T-shirts — each year, they chose a different theme — and the money goes to the Kadlec Auxiliary Mammogram Assistance Fund.

“After taking a tour (of Kadlec’s breast imaging center) and learning there are people who can’t afford mammograms, it’s really cool to know that we’re able to help,” Taryn said.

This year’s shirts read, “Fight Cancer.” The “I” in “Fight” and the “Can” in “Cancer” are in white, highlighting the message, “I Can.”

They cost $10. They’ll be available at the Pink Night basketball game Jan. 13 at the school, and they also can be purchased in advance.

During Pink Night, the stands are filled with supporters wearing the color of breast cancer awareness. The players get in on the act by wearing pink, too.

Donny Mendoza, assistant girls basketball coach, said he’s proud of his athletes.

“We’re building basketball players and also women who see there’s more to life than basketball. We want them to ask, ‘How can we give back to the community?’ ” he said.

Through the fundraiser, they’re doing just that, Mendoza said.

The Mammogram Assistance Fund covers screening mammograms for uninsured women age 35 and older. Screening mammograms are preventive, for women who aren’t experiencing any apparent symptoms.

“In our community, about 40 percent of women aren’t getting screening mammography,” said Krista McManus, manager of breast imaging services at Kadlec Regional Medical Center.

The reasons are myriad, from fear of the procedure to the cost. But those things shouldn’t be barriers, McManus said.

A mammogram isn’t painful. “Every day, we see people who have put it off for two years, 10 years, 15 years,” McManus said. “They come in and say, ‘I can’t believe I waited. This nothing.’ ”

And, if money is an obstacle, the fund can help. Last year, nearly 300 women in the region received screening mammograms through the fund, McManus said.

The Richland High girls basketball players are doing good by bolstering the fund and by raising awareness, she said.

“They’re helping in a big way,” she said. “A lot of young women don’t like to talk about breast cancer. They’re spreading the word. It’ll reach thousands of people.”

For Taryn and her teammates, it’s a busy time. They have school work, plus near-daily practices and games.

But the effort she’s put into the fundraiser is worth it, Taryn said.

“It’s really cool to see how even little things can help people,” she said. “To see that little things make a difference is pretty cool.”

For more on Kadlec’s mammogram assistance program, go to kadlec.org/foundation/work/mammogram-assistance-program or call 509-942-2655.

The T-shirts will be sold at the Pink Night game on Jan. 13 at Richland High and also are available in advance by emailing amy.westerfield@rsd.edu or calling 509-430-4754.

The team also still is looking for sponsors to help offset the cost of the shirts. To help, call 509-430-4754.

This story was originally published January 6, 2018 at 1:32 PM with the headline "These Richland High athletes aim to beat breast cancer, one T-shirt at a time."