The Dickinson athletics community is rallying behind meaningful causes through events like Morgan’s Message and the Team Pink Breast Cancer Awareness Game. During these games, teams show support by wearing shirts and ribbons to raise awareness, honor those affected, and bring the community together around important health issues.

Morgan’s Message was founded in honor of Morgan Rodgers, a Duke women’s lacrosse player who tragically passed away in 2019 after struggling with mental health challenges. This organization works to break the stigma surrounding mental health in athletics, encouraging student athletes to talk openly and seek support if it is needed. Today, Morgan’s Message has ambassadors on campuses and high schools across the country, including Dickinson.

Caroline Kirkpatrick ‘27, a Morgan’s Message ambassador at Dickinson, states: “Being a student athlete is one of the strongest communities and support systems you can find, but many of us still feel deeply isolated. We’re constantly balancing early lifts, late practices, games, homework, and jobs. There’s this pressure to give 100% in every area, and when you fall short, it can feel like you’re letting people down. That’s why students are stepping up, not because we’re experts, but because we get it. What Morgan’s Message reminds us is something even more important: you’re a human first.”

By wearing Morgan’s Message ribbons and hosting awareness games, Dickinson teams are helping to spread a culture where mental health is treated with the same care and seriousness as physical health. Events like these remind athletes and fans that mental well being is an essential part of everyday life.

Alongside mental health awareness, Dickinson is also shining a light on breast cancer awareness through the annual Team Pink fundraiser, organized by the Hera Society, a female student athlete honor society on campus. Each October, during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, student athletes wear Team Pink shirts to raise awareness and show support for survivors, patients, and families impacted by the disease.

According to the American Cancer Society, about 1 in 8 women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with breast cancer during her lifetime, making awareness and research funding critical. Events like Team Pink are a way for students and athletes to show visible support, while also raising money and attention for the cause. 

For Maggie Carson ’26, a member of the Hera Society, the Team Pink tradition represents more than just a fundraiser: “Team Pink games have always been such a special tradition at Dickinson.”