As an early kickoff for the second annual “Paint the Town Pink,” the Austin Packers boys basketball team and their parents will raise awareness and support Thursday evening for The Hormel Institute’s world-renowned breast cancer research.

The Austin High School Fast Break Boys Booster Club will be raising research funds through a first-time pink event called “Hoops for Hope — Shooting for a Cure” during the Austin Packers versus Rochester John Marshall Rockets game at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in Packer Gym. The Booster Club is sponsoring the cancer awareness evening along with Austin Packers Head Coach Kris Fadness and Austin High Activities Director Lisa Quednow-Bickler.

Thursday night’s game — expected to fill Packer Gym — will feature two of the best teams in the Big Nine Conference, with Austin and Rochester JM both undefeated in conference play.

The game is the first event as part of this year’s “Paint the Town Pink” citywide initiative in Austin — which officially runs Feb. 1-10 — to raise awareness and support for The Hormel Institute’s breast cancer research.

Mike Olmsted, one of the Booster Club’s parent volunteers, said the club and basketball program are excited to be able to help The Hormel Institute.

All of the money raised by the event and donated to The Hormel Institute will go directly toward funding breast cancer research in Austin.

Booster Club members will be selling pink “Hopes for Hope – Shooting for a Cure” T-shirts in the lobby outside of Packer Gym on Thursday. The group also will pass buckets around for monetary donations during the evening.