The Palmerton High School girls’ volleyball team is set to take on the boys’ wrestling team in a charity volleyball match this Saturday at 5 p.m. in the high school gym.

According to Savannah Mickel, girls’ volleyball coach, the event, dubbed “Volley for a Cause,” promises to be a fun-filled evening with a deeper purpose: raising money for cancer research.

Tickets for the event are priced at $5, and all proceeds will go to the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition.

“The team has been asking to put together a charity game for years,” Mickel, in her second year as coach, said. “Going into my second year, I knew that assembling this event was non-negotiable. The team is beyond excited, and I’m proud to have a group of players that are not only talented on the court but also dedicated to giving back to the community and supporting those in need.”

The idea of a charity match pitting the volleyball team against the wrestling team came from the players themselves, who wanted to combine friendly competition with fundraising for a cause.

“We’re grateful the boys’ wrestling team volunteered to be our opponent,” Mickel said. “It should make for a fun event, and we hope to grow this event year by year, getting more teams involved and increasing proceeds for a great cause.”

The choice to direct the proceeds to cancer research was intentional, given the importance of the cause.

“October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in the U.S., with an estimated 300,000-plus new cases in 2024,” Mickel said. “We wanted to choose a cause that would truly help people in need.”

Attendees at the event can expect more than just an exciting volleyball match. There will be concessions, hot food and baked goods available, as well as various fundraising activities such as a 50/50 raffle and basket raffles.

“We want the community to come together and have fun while supporting a great cause,” Mickel said.

For those unable to attend in person, donations can still be made online through the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition’s website, and additional raffles will be held at Palmerton’s home football game on Friday night.