NORWICH – For a second straight year, Norwich High School students, athletes, cheerleaders and their coaches have joined in the fight against cancer.

On Friday night, members of the football and cheerleading squads – in addition to other sports teams throughout the fall season – will show their support by donning the traditional breast cancer awareness color of pink, according to NHS Varsity Cheerleading Coach Marie DeSarro.

“October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and although the football, cheerleading and other fall sports teams will be showing their support wearing the traditional color, we’ve decided that we also need to show our support for the many other types of cancer,” she said. “Cancer has affected so many people in the high school community, including students, teachers and coaches, and it’s important for us to show those people that we support and want to help them and their families fight for a cure.”

Following last year’s “pink” football game, a number of other fall sports teams wanted to get involved, said DeSarro. This year, the cheerleaders and cheerleading booster club reached out to all of the school’s fall sports team coaches, asking for their support. Throughout the week, teams have been wearing a certain color associated with cancer awareness, such as pink (for breast cancer), blue (colon cancer) or purple (universal for all cancers).