Town going pink ahead of cancer awareness week

When Linda Nicol peers out the window of the gas station she owns on North Main Street, she can see a steady stream of pink flags disappear over the horizon.

She, too, has decided to jump in on the effort to Paint the Town Pink. Nicol decorated Nicol’s Fast Lube & Car Wash pink on Monday.

“It’s a great cause, and to be included with something like this in our community I think is just wonderful,” Nicol said, who had friends affected by breast cancer and family members affected by other forms of cancer.

“My dad died of cancer,” she said.

Paint the Town Pink will officially kick off on Friday with Paint the Gym Pink, which is the Austin Packer girls basketball game versus Mayo. Paint the Town Pink will continue through Feb. 9 with a menagerie of events to raise money to fight breast cancer.

Austin fights back against cancer

Feb. 1
7:30 p.m. — Paint the Gym Pink. Austin Packers Girls Basketball vs. Mayo; $7 adults, $5 students; appearance by Bruiser the Bear, T-shirts by pre-sale only. For order form, visit www.austincvb.com and click on the PTTP link.

Feb. 2
11 a.m. and 2 p.m. — Austin Packer Dance Team Winter Dance Show. Donating proceeds from blanket raffle at each show.
Noon to 2 p.m. — Fishing for a Cure. East Side Lake, with activities after at Austin Eagles Club. Entry fee is $15, children 14 and younger $10. Fee includes food, bait, door prize drawings. Call 507-219-6229 for more information.
1 and 3 p.m. — Paint the Town Pink Basketball Game at Riverland. East Building Gym; women play at 1 p.m., men at 3 p.m.; players will be wearing pink, half-time free throw shoot, pass the hat donations.
7 p.m. — Paint the Rink Pink. Austin Bruins vs. Brookings Blizzard

Feb. 3
8 a.m. to noon — Pink pancakes and Spam at St. Olaf Church. $5 ages 11-adult, $3 ages 4-10, free for 3 and younger. Additional donations welcome.
Feb. 4
5-7 p.m. — Craft sale at Riverland. West Building, proceeds donated

Feb. 7
6-8 p.m. — Survivor Night Diva Experience at Ooh La La. Local breast cancer survivors will be guests of honor, pink wine tasting from Apollo, 10 percent of proceeds donated to The Hormel Institute.

Feb. 8
Opens at 8:30 a.m. — Community National Bank pink bake sale. Both locations.
5-7 p.m. — Torge’s Happy Hour Fundraiser Event. James Parker Bracken will perform, and there will be a “pink drink” menu with $1 from each drink purchase matched by Torge���s and donated.
7:30 p.m. — Paint the Town Pink movie fundraiser “Pretty In Pink” at the Paramount Theatre. Sponsored by Kathi Finley; come dressed in pink 80s clothing; $5 per person, additional donations accepted.

Feb. 9
3 p.m. — Polar Plunge for Pink. East Side Lake; find registration forms at www.austincvb.com.
9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. — Red White and Pink Event. Heart Health, Wellness and Cancer Health. “Male Runway” at the Oak Park Mall; nominations taken at Thrivent Financial, 1211 Fourth St. NW.
During regular hours — Dart tournament and Mardi Gras Party at Mickey’s Place. Pink beads, Jell-O shots and shirts for sale. All tips go to The Hormel Institute.