On Monday, October 3rd, the Franklin Girls Varsity Soccer team suited up to play Mansfield at home at 6:00. However, this game signified something of even greater importance beyond the pitch. 

The Mansfield game was also Community Night: a night in which younger soccer teams in Franklin and the community attended, and fundraising was held through the team’s parent Boosters Club. A good deal of younger girls and boys soccer teams attended from the Franklin Youth Soccer Program to cheer on the high school team as they faced the aggressive and defensively-solid Mansfield. Many cheers were heard from the stands as teams, families, and friends settled onto the bleachers, as the sun dipped below the trees and the match kicked off.

October being Breast Cancer Awareness month, the team decided to organize something special for their first October game. For Breast Cancer awareness, in correlation with Community Night, the girls joined forces with FHS’s Connect 4 Cancer Club; senior leaders of the club, Katie Sawyer and Lexi Masters, graciously created informational posters and helped to decorate the stands before the game. The team also spread the word to wear pink that night and prepared the stands with pink and white streamers in order to create a cohesive theme to spread greater awareness.

Warming up in their bright pink shooter shirts, pink headbands and eye-black, the girls did a thorough job in following through with the effort that they had promised. So did the Franklin Girls Soccer Boosters Club -selling swag and raffle tickets- to raise money in support of the girls and for the breast cancer charity, the Ellie Fund. President of the Boosters, Ellen Welch, coined the night a success and was proud of how well they did with “selling raffle tickets for swag bags for fundraising” and for everyone being so supportive and giving to  the breast cancer charity.

Continually, one of the highlights of the cold night (aside from the game, of course), was the Mac and Cheese truck parked alongside the field. Perfect for a chilly October night, the truck offered a variety of takes on the classic Mac and Cheese, including french fry and grilled cheese interpretations of the dish. Parked next to it, to the delight of many young Franklin soccer players, was an equally delicious ice cream truck. The great food only added to the atmosphere of the night as the game ranged on, a nail-biting 0-0 at halftime.

As the second half kick-off whistle was tweeted by the neon-clad referees, many attentively watched the game whilst eating their food and buying gear and raffle tickets. Though the game was fought well to the end by the Panthers, it ended in a harrowing 0-0 tie.

 A great match and an even great night for the community and breast cancer awareness overall left a feeling of victory hanging in the air though, and many accolades are deserved for the hardworking team, their Boosters, Connect 4 Cancer, and all of the very supportive members of the Franklin community.