Oct. 8, 2002

Champions on and off the track, members of the USC women’s track and field team and Head Coach Curtis Frye joined First Lady Rachel Hodges and a number of breast cancer survivor’s in the kick-off of Pink Ribbon Week as part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month with the American Cancer Society. The press conference was held in the Rotunda of the State Capital.

As part of Team Gamecocks … Athletes Who Care, the USC Athletics Department community service effort, NCAA champion Lisa Barber spoke about how cancer effects one in eight women and how important diet and exercise were in preventing cancer.

Coach Frye, a cancer survivor himself, spoke about how important early detection was in the fight against cancer.

After Coach Frye and Lisa Barber spoke, First Lady Rachel Hodges read a proclamation proclaiming this month at Breast Cancer Awareness Month and October 6-13 as Pink Ribbon Week.

Part of Hodges’ proclamation encouraged all South Carolinians to remember that “Early Detection is the Best Protection . . . Every Year for Life!”