More Than a Color

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and at Dana Hall is standing united in our commitment to raising awareness and support. Traditionally during Family Weekend and Homecoming, Dana Hall’s athletic teams don the color pink to show solidarity with breast cancer awareness. This year, the Dana Dragons are taking it a step further by partnering with the nonprofit organization Runway for Recovery (R4R) to make an even greater impact on local families affected by breast cancer. 

During Family Weekend, the Dragons will support R4R with their “Play 4 Pink” initiative at athletic games. The organization will provide all athletic teams with matching pink socks to wear during the weekend’s contests against Newton Country Day School. Dana Hall is also hosting student fundraisers the week of October 23 to support R4R’s mission.

On Tuesday, Upper School students attended a flex block with Olivia Achtmeyer Boger, founder and executive director of R4R, and Emily Cohen Ph.D. ’02, R4R board member and breast cancer previvor and researcher. Both women lost their mothers to breast cancer and have committed their lives to supporting other families through the work of R4R. They shared personal stories with the Upper Schoolers as well as R4R’s mission to redefine the breast cancer experience and strive to provide normalcy amidst the unimaginable.

“Olivia and Emily provide our students with such great examples of empowered women who are using their platform to bring positive change into the lives of people who need it most, while honoring the legacy of the loved ones who inspired them,” said Mike White, director of Athletics, Health and Wellness. “Runway for Recovery, and what they stand for, is so closely aligned with the mission of Dana Hall that I hope this will be a relationship we can continue to grow and develop for years to come.”