FAIRFAX, Va. – The Side-Out Foundation and American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) announced at the AVCA All-America/Players of the Year Banquet on Friday, December 20 the three students to earn the 2019 Side-Out/AVCA National Dig Pink Award. AVCA and Side-Out were proud to announce Jimin Kim (Taejon Christian International School in Daejeon, South Korea), Kayla Warner (Klein Forest High School in Houston, TX), and Tendall Weigand (Arizona College Prep in Chandler, AZ) as recipients of the 2019 Side-Out/AVCA National Dig Pink® Award.

As Side-Out/AVCA National Dig Pink® Award winners, these three individuals will be awarded scholarships as part of Side-Out’s Ambassador Program. In addition to the scholarships, they received special recognition at Friday’s banquet alongside the top college volleyball players in the country.

“The 2019 Ambassador applicant pool was outstanding once again. I was moved by the passion and energy of these candidates as they described their event experiences and the impact their educational hours had on them,” said Janice Kruger, Side-Out’s VP of Programs. “Each year as these candidates complete the steps in becoming ambassadors, I am most impressed by their growth as people as they start to understand what stage IV breast cancer patients go through every day.”

The Side-Out Ambassador Program presents opportunities for students to make an impact by leading a Dig Pink® campaign, raising funds for Side-Out’s stage IV breast cancer research, and learning about breast cancer. Students place themselves in the extraordinary position to use the power of sport to impact those around them and unite their community. In 2019, Side-Out had 12 Ambassadors complete the program. 

”We applaud these award winners,” said AVCA executive director, Kathy DeBoer. “Jimin, Kayla, and Tendall show us what our future leaders will look like – young people willing to learn about stage IV breast cancer, a deadly disease, and convinced their efforts will help extend life.”

The Side-Out/AVCA National Dig Pink® Award is given to three ambassadors each year who demonstrate extraordinary commitment to the sport and to their community. These national honor winners received the highest scores on essays submitted to the Side-Out/AVCA review board outlining their role in staging Dig Pink® events, addressing why they felt connected to the cause, and elaborating on other ways each had given back to the community throughout the year.

“The Side-Out Foundation is fortunate to have these talented volleyball student-athletes supporting our Dig Pink® program,” said Kruger.

In addition to the three Side-Out/AVCA National Dig Pink Award Winners, the following six individuals earned scholarships for their efforts through the Side-Out Ambassador Program.

• Isabella Carusone (Queensbury High School – Queensbury, NY)
• Megan Erickson (Randolph High School -Randolph, MN)
• Shivani Anissa Haribhai (The Oakridge School – Grapevine, TX)
• Ellen Herlihy (North Salem High School – North Salem, NY)
• Bryanna Scott (Analy High School – Sebastopol, CA)
• Mary Coye Ward (Spring Hill College – Mobile, AL)

For a full history of Side-Out Ambassadors, visit our Ambassador Program History page.

Side-Out/AVCA National Dig Pink^® Award Winners

Scholarship Winners

Official Side-Out Ambassadors