Each year the Crosstown Classic football game is held at DGN or DGS, bringing the Downers Grove community together. DGN will be hosting the game this year on Friday, Oct. 12, and both schools will be wearing pink in support of Breast Cancer Awareness month.

The pink out game is an important event for the whole community, especially for DGS Student Activities Director Jennifer Martinez.

“If we are talking specifically about the crosstown game and cancer awareness during October, I just think we all have this philosophy at DGS of service and philanthropy, whether it’s our time or our money, and I think that’s pretty amazing,” Martinez said.

DGS Principal Edward Schwartz gives more insight into what the DGS community does in terms of community service.

“We do all our school philanthropy project and then there is a lot of different organizations that do their own fundraisers– like the girl’s basketball team does the ‘We Back Pat’ fundraiser for Alzheimer’s. A lot of teams do different fundraisers to help raise money for an important cause, which I think is great for our school,” Schwartz said.

T-shirts will be sold by the football team and superfans during lunches, and proceeds will go to the Rizzo Foundation created by Chicago Cubs player Anthony Rizzo to fund cancer research.

This Friday, there will be many Northsiders and Southsiders in the stands, unifying together to fight a cause. Senior Kelcie Meyer comments on how this football game is particularly important to her.

“I will be in the stands that game, and I think it’s really cool because even before my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time, I always thought, ‘This is for you.’ Even if you don’t know someone in your family that has breast cancer, I still feel like, to an extent, ‘Mom these people are wearing pink for you,’ and it’s kind of sweet,” Meyer said.

Many DGS students and faculty have some connection to a form of cancer in their life. Since the month of October has rolled around, junior Madison Falotico is thinking of her grandma who passed away six years ago from breast cancer.

“Watching her die from breast cancer was really hard on my family, and I wouldn’t want anyone to go through what my Grandma did. Because of this life experience, I am excited to win the fight against cancer, on and off the field,” Falotico said.

On Oct. 12, both schools will have their fans in the stands at DGN, dressed in pink, ready to win this fight against breast cancer.