The JPII Sr. girls basketball team presented a $20,000 cheque to the Battlefords Healthcare Foundation (John Paul II Collegiate/Facebook).

By Austin Mattes

Crusade Against Cancer

JPII raises over $20,000 for Battlefords Healthcare Foundation

Mar 5, 2025 | 4:22 PM

It was packed stands on Tuesday night at John Paul II (JPII) Collegiate as the JPII Crusaders Senior girls basketball team took on the McLurg Broncos, but it wasn’t the game that was the highlight of the night. It was the $20,000 cheque presented after the game to the Battlefords Healthcare Foundation, as it was the JPII Crusade Against Cancer ‘Pink Game’ night.

“The gym had a full house, people came out to support and just overall seeing the commitment to the Crusade Against Cancer campaign was just kind of the icing on the cake, we’re just real proud of the entire JP school community to tell you the truth,” said JPII Principal and Senior Girls Basketball Coach, Bruce Yockey.

Since the beginning of the school year, the team, staff and school have raised money in various ways, from donations to a 50/50 draw, selling basketball Christmas shirts, doing raffles, even shaving leg hair and giving all proceeds from the ‘Pink Game’.

When it was all said and done, the total amount raised for the campaign was over $20,000 with about $12,000 coming directly from JPII.

The JPII Sr. girls team wearing their ‘Crusade Against Cancer’ pink jerseys (John Paul II Collegiate/Facebook).

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The ‘Pink Game’ fundraiser started back in 2009 with the Assiniboia Composite High School girl’s basketball team raising funds to help fight against cancer, and since then, has been passed down to a different team around the province each year, with the host team choosing the fundraiser recipient. Last year, Carpenter High School out of Meadow Lake was the host for the fundraiser and passed it on to JPII this season.

The money from the fundraiser this year is going to the oncology unit at the Battlefords Union Hospital to help prevent, treat and fight cancer. Yockey said they chose this recipient because of how people are affected in the community by the cause.

“It’s such a great way to raise awareness for something that affects so many people in the community, and I just think it’s such a great way for local communities to get involved, raise awareness and raise funds that stay directly in the community to help with patient support and care. We’re just extremely proud that the money will stay right here in Battlefords and up at our own Union hospital.” Yockey said.

Apart from the fundraiser, the JPII Senior girls regular season has come to an end, and now they are waiting to get their ranking before heading to the regional playoffs on March 14 and 15.

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Austin.mattes@pattisonmedia.com

On X: @AustinMattes