Wingate, N.C.----Wingate University head volleyball coach Shelton Collier and the Bulldog volleyball program have designated Friday’s home match versus Tusculum College as DiG PiNK Night at Cuddy Arena (7 p.m. first serve). Wingate is one of many colleges and universities in the country that have dedicated a home match to raise money for breast cancer research.

In conjunction with the National Breast Cancer Awareness month this October, the Wingate University women’s volleyball will team up with the Side-Out Foundation to promote awareness and raise funds to eradicate Breast Cancer. This October, thousands of teams from around the country will be participating in the DiG PiNK festivities.

“There are hundreds of volleyball teams participating in the DiG PiNK across the country this month,” Collier says. “We are very proud to be a part of this movement at Wingate University.”

“Our goal is to create awareness as well as raise some money,” Collier acknowledges. “I am pleased our student-athletes are involved in both aspects.”

All proceeds from donations will benefit the Side-Out Foundation, a national 501(c)(3) located in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Anyone interested in pledging money or making a donation to this year’s DiG PiNK effort can contact Wingate University assistant volleyball coach Melissa DeLuca by E-mail at mjdeluca@wingate.edu.

WINGATE UNIVERSITY

Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a private four-year co-educational institution of 2,159 students offering active learning opportunities through personalized instruction, world travel, career discovery and community service.

Wingate offers more than 40 undergraduate majors in arts and sciences, business, communication, education, fine arts, music and sport sciences. It also offers graduate degrees in business, education, physician assistant studies and sport administration. In addition, the school awards the doctor of pharmacy and the doctor of education degrees.

Bulldog student-athletes compete in 17 NCAA Division II sports. Wingate University has won the South Atlantic Conference Echols Athletic Excellence Award for the past three years.

Wingate University is ranked number three among NCAA Division II Academic All-America® producing schools in the 2000’s with 34 honorees during this millennium. Only Pittsburg State (Kan.) University and Truman State (Mo.) University have produced more Academic All-America® honorees during this time period. Wingate’s 43 Academic All-America® honorees (lifetime) is tops among all SAC schools.