This weekend's soccer game has a special meaning for head coach Dave Thorvilson, his players and the Carroll College community.

The Saints will don pink and white jerseys that will be auctioned off as they host Rocky Mountain College Sunday at 1 p.m. in an effort to raise money to "Help Carroll Kick Cancer," an event that's part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Carroll has teamed up with Play On Soccer to help promote the event and proceeds of the fundraiser will be donated to cancer research.

Thorvilson's mother, Bonnie Lou Thorvilson, lost a four-year long battle with cancer this summer at the age of 61.

It was roughly this time last year that he found out her form of lymphoma had returned more aggressive than ever. He knows all too well the impact that the devastating disease can have on people.

"It's something we knew about, but it wasn't really until my mom got cancer that it was really close and really have an impact," Thorvilson said. "I think you always know someone who has cancer and you have empathy for them, but it's not until it's a direct connection to you that it has a power or a feeling over you."

"I think for us, Carroll is a great place to be at. We do a lot for the community and this is an opportunity for our soccer team to get a little recognition and show a lot of community support toward a good cause," he said.

Carroll College's sports department has had its battles with the disease, from players like junior offensive guard Luke Den Herder's recovery from non-Hodgkins Burkitt's Lymphoma, to its faculty and staff's own treatments.

Pam Jones, the cheer squad coach and wife of Steve Jones, the director of sports facilities, is in her second bout of treatment since sending breast and lymphatic cancer into remission in 1995.

Jones was given just a six-month period to live then, but an experimental treatment that was the first to involve stem cell research gave her a new lease on life.

Now, she's fighting a different type of cancer that is attacking her tongue, jaw and tonsils.

"I think it goes without saying that there's tremendous support in Helena," said Steve Jones. "While there's a million worthwhile events, there isn't anyone I know that hasn't been directly affected by cancer."

Jones said that the event definitely strikes his family personally and that with the platform and venue, Carroll has the ability to give people the chance to help.

"That's what makes this cool, that we get to be a part of it," he said.

Health and physical education professor Gloria Lambertz shares an office with other members of the athletic department in the Carroll P.E. Center. Diagnosed with adenocarcinoma, she too knows how supportive the collegiate community can be.

After every treatment she e-mails her "cancer support group," she likes to call it. The group is made up of everyone from maintenance to administration at the college. Students often check in on her and she's received everything from extra meals from Athletic Director Bruce Parker to a surprise cleaning party at her house from the Carroll volleyball team.

With this weekend's game focusing on cancer, she hopes that it helps everyone realize the importance of taking care of their own health so that they can avoid or fight the disease in the future.

No matter what, Carroll College will rally together when people need it the most.

"The one big thing about Carroll College is that it really is one big extended family," Thorvilson said. "Whether you're dysfunctional at times or not, it's nice knowing that you care for one another."