It’s time to Paint the Park Pink again.
Making Strides Against Breast Cancer has teamed up with Smokies Baseball for the annual Paint the Park Pink Night to raise awareness for breast cancer. The game will be Saturday, Aug. 10, at Smokies Stadium, and tickets are available HERE. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. and game time is 7 p.m. vs. the Chattanooga Lookouts. The Smokies currently are in first place in the North Division of the Southern League.
Breast cancer survivors and those undergoing treatment should arrive by 6 p.m. as they will be honored on the field before the game. The group will gather by 6:15 p.m. at fan assistance on the concourse before the ceremony.
Kim Hansard, center, with Making Strides volunteers Adriane Kaufman and Imelda Garcia Margulies.
The survivors will be led by this writer and Kim Hansard, host of Marc & Kim Show on Star 102.1. Both of us are breast cancer survivors and longtime advocates for Making Strides Against Breast Cancer.
“Star 102.1 has been honored to be involved with Making Strides Against Breast Cancer as a media partner, since the event first began in Knoxville,” Hansard said. “I have served as emcee for events, and, of course, Paint the Park Pink. As a breast cancer survivor, I know what this event means to people. The stands and concourse are full of pink, the players are wearing pink jerseys, and the focus is on survivors, patients and caregivers of breast and all kinds of cancer.
“We also remember those we have lost and are reminded of why we keep raising awareness and research for breast cancer. I will be at the park in my pink. Please come out and show your support.”
Paint the Park Pink is possible because of the support of Erie Insurance, which partnered with the American Cancer Society and Making Strides Against Breast Cancer to sponsor the pink game.
Homer the Hound, with a young fan in 2023, dons pink. (Smokies Baseball)
Jeannine Henney has worked for Erie Insurance for almost 40 years – she hits that milestone in 2025, the same year as Erie’s 100th anniversary – and is a claims support supervisor in the West Region, which includes the state of Tennessee, with the claims office in Knoxville and sales office in Brentwood. Henney also is a breast cancer survivor.
“I know the company has a longtime commitment to giving back to communities across the country,” Henney said. “When Erie was approached to be part of Paint the Park Pink and raise awareness of breast cancer, we knew it was an initiative we wanted to support. Our sponsorship with Making Strides Against Breast Cancer started in 2019, and we have watched the event grow into one the community has embraced.
“Erie Insurance was founded in 1925 on the principle of outstanding customer service. Giving back to our community is an extension of that mission, and we are grateful to provide the donation needed by the American Cancer Society and Making Strides Against Breast Cancer to host the pink game with the Smokies.”
The players will wear pink jerseys that will be auctioned online HERE starting Thursday, Aug. 8. Under Active Team Auctions, drop down to Tennessee Smokies and set up an account. Winners can either pick up the jersey after the game and take it home that night or have it shipped if not at the game. All of the proceeds from the auction are donated to Making Strides.
A sneak peek of the jerseys is below.
Paint the Park Pink jerseys in 2024. (Smokies Baseball)
The night also will serve as a kickoff for the annual Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk in Knoxville. The walk will be held Saturday, Sept. 28, at Zoo Knoxville. The organization will have tables on the concourse with additional information about Making Strides and the Knoxville walk.
A silent auction also will be on the concourse with signed items donated by University of Tennessee coaches: Tony Vitello, baseball; Karen Weekly, softball; Kim Caldwell and Rick Barnes, basketball; and Caldwell, pink basketball. The Lady Vol Boost HER Club donated a signed softball from ace pitcher Karlyn Pickens that also will be on the table. All of the proceeds from the silent auction will be donated to Making Strides.
The event also will raise awareness for all types of cancers. As fans enter the gate, a table will be set up with “I STAND FOR … ” cards to write the name of a loved one who survived cancer or is in treatment or has passed away. A moment of silence will be held during the game, and attendees can hold up their cards. In years past, the players also have emerged from the dugout with their cards.
Mary Moreland of Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, David Branam of Smokies Baseball and volunteer Donald Shields at the 2023 event.
Mary Moreland, a senior development manager for the American Cancer Society, oversees Making Strides in the Knoxville area, and will be at the game to lead the event and answer any questions.
“I have spent my career in service of nonprofits and joined the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer efforts a year ago,” Moreland said. “My first event was to attend the Paint the Park Pink game at Smokies Baseball in 2023. The sea of pink and support from fans and the staff of Smokies Baseball was amazing. I knew we had to hold this event again in 2024.
“I extend my thanks to Erie Insurance for continuing to step up to the plate as a sponsor and to Smokies Baseball for being so accommodating and welcoming. We look forward to this partnership for years to come.”
Maria M. Cornelius, a senior writer/editor at MoxCar Marketing + Communications since 2013, started her journalism career at the Knoxville News Sentinel and began writing about the Lady Vols in 1998. In 2016, she published her first book, “The Final Season: The Perseverance of Pat Summitt,” through The University of Tennessee Press.
