Perspectives from another successful 'Pink Out' game at Triton Central

FAIRLAND – Sara Hauck arrived at Triton Central High School Friday afternoon with big expectations.

The new director of the Indiana Women In Need (IWIN) foundation was attending her first “Pink Out” game in Fairland. The foundation is the beneficiary of Triton Central’s super-sized emotional event that has raised more than $250,000 in 16 years.

“I was told to have pretty high expectations, and I was told it’s a sea of pink,” said Hauck after watching the survivors’ celebration ceremony Friday between the junior varsity and varsity games. “And I was told there is a parade and there are balloons and there is just an unbelievable amount of support – and it has lived up to all that.”

Roncalli was a first-time participant in the Pink Out game. Head coach Jason Sims ended the night with a win over Triton Central and a profound respect for the festivities associated with the night.

“You hear a lot about (Triton Central’s Pink Out game), but it’s more impressive than even what I thought,” said Sims. “The people here are so kind. It’s just a beautiful night. You get all the feels for sure.”

Triton Central athletic director and girls basketball coach Bryan Graham (photo, addressing the crowd) created the Pink Out game in 2009 after flipping through an Eastbay magazine with one of his players, Kelsey Larkey, and seeing pink uniforms.

Seventeen years later, as he took a moment at the scorer’s bench to take a drink, he winked toward the media seating area and said, ‘It’s still pretty cool, right?’ as the nearly three dozen breast cancer survivors in attendance were introduced to the large crowd in attendance.

The final amount of the 2025 donation to IWIN will be announced at a later date. The Pink Out game has generated a five-figure donation for many years now based off a silent auction, T-shirt and ticket sales and donations.

Sims arrived in Fairland Friday with a $1,000 check for the cause, courtesy of the Roncalli girls basketball program (photo), who had front row seats for the survivors’ parade and participated in the survivors’ introduction ceremony by helping present pink flowers to each woman.

“We talked in the locker room with the girls about circumstances and reality. The reality some people live with,” explained Sims. “You have to really enjoy life. It was a great basketball game. It was a great environment, and it was a lot of fun for us to be a part of. We are really glad we could contribute and be around their great school and these great people.”

Hauck, like so many other women, discovered IWIN at a low point in her life following her own breast cancer diagnosis.

“I found IWIN when I was in the eye of my storm when I was going through chemotherapy. It was really challenging,” she said. “I was able to get our one-time $400 gift to take care of something else other than medical bills. It was financial, physical and mental relief.”

IWIN will accept Triton Central’s substantial donation then distribute it to Shelby County families first to insure the event impacts those in Shelby County – an ideal that drives the TC community that has yet to see the success of its Pink Out game replicated across the state.

“I think there is a difference between big communities and small communities,” said Graham. “What makes us stand apart is our teammates and family atmosphere. People really care about each other. They want to help other people. I think it’s really cool how Triton Central comes together.”

The event has now become a highlight moment for so many breast cancer survivors who are treated like royalty as soon as they arrive on campus.

“If I’m being honest with you, I’ve had some days where I wasn’t sure life was going to get any better surviving breast cancer,” said Hauck. “What was the point?

“It is times like this where it is absolutely worth outliving. It is a community that gives you strength to outlive something like this.”

Other highlight moments from Friday’s Pink Out game:

• Four past participants in the survivors’ parade were honored after losing their battle with cancer since the 2024 event. They were Julian Gray (age 78), Sarah Stieneker Robinson (54), Pauline Neddo (98) and Janet Harris McClain (77). Each had family members in attendance Friday.
• Event organizer Melanie Garrison, a nurse, was recognized for utilizing the school’s defibrillator and saving a man’s life in the TC parking lot during a recent Future Tigers Association (FTA) event.
• Recently-elected Northwestern Consolidated Schools Board President Brooke Lockett sang the national anthem prior to the start of the varsity game.
• A total of 33 survivors paraded around the court, including grand marshal Sarah Coffey – a survivor since 1989 (photo, shaking hands with TC's coaching staff).
• Graham noted in his speech to the crowd that most of his current Triton Central basketball roster was not yet born at the time of the inaugural Pink Out game that hoped to raise $500 – and raised $5,000.

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