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Alabama Athletics' second annual Power of Pink, sponsored by Tuscaloosa Toyota, is well underway. The initiative, originally started in 2004 by Crimson Tide gymnastics coach Sarah Patterson to raise awareness in the fight against breast cancer in the West Alabama community.

"I realize that I am very lucky," Patterson said. "Not only to be healthy, but also that I have access to excellent medical care. Not everyone is so fortunate, and I wanted to do something that would help those who need it most."

So she picked Alabama vs. Auburn on Feb. 4, 2005, and designated it as the "Drive 4 the Cause" meet. She asked everyone to mark the date and to "Think Pink, Wear Pink."

Since that first meet, the numbers have been staggering. Over the past six years nearly 90,000 fans have filled Coleman Coliseum with pink for the annual event, including an Alabama and Southeastern Conference record 15,162 fans in 2006 and matching sell-outs of 15,075 in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010.

"I have been so amazed at how the community has responded to this, how it has been embraced at every turn and how it continues to grow day-by-day," Patterson said.

Within the UA athletics department the event has grown from gymnastics to other sports to the point where Alabama Athletics' Power of Pink, sponsored by Tuscaloosa Toyota, has events three times a year, in the fall, in the winter and in the spring, hosted by the Tide's women's teams.

"This Power of Pink just keeps getting stronger and stronger with each passing year," head soccer coach Todd Bramble said. "The amount of money raised and awareness generated are impressive. Any women in this community that are battling breast cancer are lucky to have people like David DeSantis in their corner and the Alabama soccer team is happy to be a partner in this fight."

David DeSantis, the general manager and co-owner of Tuscaloosa Toyota, has been a staunch supporter of the Power of Pink since its early days with the gymnastics program. Under DeSantis' leadership, Tuscaloosa Toyota became the title sponsor for the Athletic Department's Power of Pink efforts in 2009.

In this country alone, a woman will be newly diagnosed with breast cancer every three minutes, and the odds of overcoming breast cancer are much higher if the disease is detected in the early stages, a fact that makes the Tide's efforts even more vital.

The Alabama Athletics Power of Pink sponsored by Tuscaloosa Toyota slate features nine women’s athletics events during the 2011-12 academic year, including volleyball, cross country, soccer and swimming and diving in the fall and basketball, gymnastics, softball, tennis and rowing in the winter and spring.

 

Winter

Sunday, Feb. 12th – W. Basketball vs. LSU @ 1:00 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 17th – Gymnastics vs. Arkansas @ 7:30 p.m.

 

Spring

Saturday, March 17th – Softball vs. Ole Miss @ 1:30 p.m.

Sunday, March 18th – W. Tennis vs. TCU @ 12:00 noon

Saturday, April 21st – Rowing vs. Iowa @ TBD