ANDOVER TOWNSHIP - It was a “pink out” throughout the Andover Regional School District on Wednesday, as students and faculty alike sported pink, including custom-designed T-shirts, to celebrate a recent fundraising milestone and raise awareness about breast cancer.

According to Meghan Walsh, president of the Andover Regional’s Parent Teacher Association, a teacher reached out to the PTA with the idea to create a shirt as a fundraiser to raise awareness and funds for the fight against breast cancer. The white shirt emblazoned with a pink version of the school district’s “charger” horse logo, includes the slogan “In October, Chargers Wear Pink.” All proceeds from the sale were split between a Newton woman recovering from breast cancer and Project Self-Sufficiency's program to provide free mammograms to uninsured and under-insured women in the area. Walsh said the sale of 187 shirts raised $1,200 for both initiatives over one week. Members of the district’s faculty and staff; and parents and students alike purchased the shirts.

After raising the funds, students, faculty, staff and parents of both the Florence M. Burd and Long Pond Schools wore either the Chargers shirt or were attired in pink on Wednesday.

Cindy Mizelle, principal of the Florence M. Burd School said raising awareness about breast cancer is a cause that is dear to the district’s heart, with many individuals within the district who have been personally impacted by the illness because of a friend or relative battling it. As a whole, Mizelle said, the district has participated in “pink out” events previously, but this year was the first time the special shirts were sold as part of a fundraising effort.

“It (the fundraiser) was a huge success and I was so surprised by the amount of money raised and how so many families and kids participated,” Mizelle said.

Mizelle said the initiative and outreach reflect back on the teachings within the district, demonstrating to the students hands-on the importance of being kind and helping others.

“I’m really proud of our students for coming together for a good cause and for giving back to the community,” said Mizelle.

Jennifer Jean Miller can also be reached by phone at: 973-383-1230; on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/JMillerNJH and on Twitter: www.twitter.com/JMillerNJH.