The Limestone County Sheriff’s Arena will be covered in pink Saturday as a local organization, dedicated to helping the community, holds its inaugural Pink Out event for breast cancer awareness.

TeamBlueButterflies, a local Relay for Life team, will kick off the free event 2 p.m. Saturday.

Pink Out will include a number of vendors, kid-friendly activities and more. Rogersville’s pink firetruck and Athens Police’s pink cruiser will be on site, along with AirEvac, weather permitting.

A bloodmobile will also be there at 2 p.m. for blood donations. Organizers ask donors to donate in honor or memory of a loved one.

Attendees can also get their hair cut for a donation to the cause.

Pink Out will coincide with a Swamp John’s fundraiser at the arena. Each platter will be sold for $12 and includes chicken, fish, shrimp or combination and fries, slaw, hushpuppies, dessert and a drink. The fundraiser will start at 4 p.m. Proceeds go to TeamBlueButterflies.

Organizer Deborah Nixon Chapman said there are also lots of door prizes. Attendees can get a door prize ticket for buying a Swamp John’s plate, wearing pink to the event and donating blood at the bloodmobile. Door prizes include gift cards, jewelry and more.

Each vendor will give away a door prize as well, Chapman said.

The family-friendly event will have a number of kid-friendly activities, including making cards for patients going through treatment at Clearview Cancer Institute in Decatur and Huntsville.

How it started

Chapman was diagnosed with breast cancer in November 2015. It was four years after her mother, Peggy Nixon, was diagnosed. Chapman said there was no prior history of cancer in the family, but after her mother was diagnosed, she decided to get a mammogram.

“I went, and everything went great,” she said. “A couple years later, I was diagnosed with cancer.”

Chapman and her mother had cancer in the same breast and in the same area, but it was different types of cancer.

“When you hear breast cancer, you think breast cancer,” Chapman said. “You don’t realize there are so many different types. People wonder why we can’t find a cure. Well, every body’s different.”

Chapman said she had no idea what people go through until she was diagnosed herself. She also didn’t realize how many people are there to help.

“I mean, it was amazing,” she said, adding people brought food, flowers, cards and comfort.

Chapman said when she was cancer-free, she thought she needed to give back.

“We formed TeamBlueButterflies,” she said. “The team is in memory of my cousin Joyce Nixon Shelton.”

Shelton was a big supporter of people in the community with cancer, Chapman said.

“She did a lot of things for people,” Chapman said. “She also loved blue butterflies.”

Shelton’s sister and daughter are members of the team, along with others who have either had cancer or were caregivers of others with cancer.

Teresa Nixon Lovell is Chapman’s sister and wife of the late Gary Lovell. She is a part of the team.

“Gary was also a big part of TeamBlueButterflies,” Chapman said.

Lovell, an Owens Volunteer Fire Department chief, died of complications due to lung cancer.

Chapman said Lovell was excited to make gift bags for members of the community, but he died before he was able to help deliver them.

For Lovell’s birthday in November, the team plans to bring Sun Drop and Tootsie Rolls to Clearview Cancer Institute in Decatur.

Chapman said those interested in becoming a part of TeamBlueButterflies can find them on Facebook by searching “TeamBlueButterflies – Relay for Life Team.”

Proceeds

Proceeds from the Pink Out event will go to a number of causes.

Through the years, TeamBlueButterflies has delivered gift bags to Clearview Cancer Institute, collected and filled makeup bags for cancer patients, raised money through Relay for Life through the American Cancer Society and more.

Funds have also helped other community organizations such as Superhero Day and the Addie Baker Scholarship fund.

“We do anything in our community to help people out,” Chapman said.

This year, some of the proceeds will be be donated to the Pink Elephant Fund at Athens-Limestone Hospital to help fund mammograms and provide money for needed equipment.

“We would love to have people come out and visit with us,” Chapman said. “If you don’t want to buy a meal and just want to come by and say hi, we would love to have you.

“Come out and see what we are all about. Cancer is very scary. It’s not pink, and it’s not beautiful … We want people to know they are not alone.”