Canadian Sport Helpline

Pink Whistle 2025 – Call A Foul on Cancer

 

February 18, 2025

 

As we all celebrate Family Day, The Pink Whistle / Call A Foul on Cancer 2025 campaign has come out of the locker room and is ready for a strong 2nd half finish.

On the basketball court, our referees will continue the visible awareness by sporting Pink Whistles, Pink Lanyards and (in some cases), Pink Striped shirts. This, as we prepare for local playoffs in every Provincial community at the High School, College and University levels.

Basketball fans, Coaches and Players have cheered on the referees as we have eclipsed close to $20,000 in donations so far this year. We encourage the students and players to build their own awareness programs and join us in our fight against cancer.

To those who have already donated, THANK YOU.

Take a peek at the donations "Honour Scroll" at our dedicated BC Cancer Foundation site. See how many coaches, players, fans and organizations have proudly partnered up with us.

https://bccancerfoundation.com/pinkwhistlecampaign

We have about 10 active days of fundraising remaining so let's kick it up a notch with a full court press.

Cancer is relentless, but so are we !!

You simply can't BOO these refs...

Contact us at: pinkwhistlelegacyfund@gmail.com

Follow us on Instagram @pinkwhistlelegacyfund and don't forget to tag us in your stories or mention us in your posts.

Your Pink Whistle Committee
 Alex Ngai, Eric Kuntz, Fred Gunn, Brent Sutter, Mike Porteous, Todd Prodanuk, Jason Cook, Gino Bondi, Sean March, Mike Craig, Lee Brien, Karn Dhillon

February 10, 2025

Good morning: As we publish this message, we have amassed close to $8600 in our first week of donations on our Honour Scroll with the BC Cancer Foundation. Did you know the pink whistle campaign is on Instagram? Please be sure to follow @pinkwhistlelegacyfund and don't forget to tag us in your stories or mention us in your posts! We look forward to sharing EACH of your stories & posts all about the pink whistle campaign! Thanks also to The Parkside Brewery for their amazing contest via Instagram.

Next: We have also experienced one of the BEST "one week" media responses ever to help to tell our story. We received support from:

  1.  Delta Optimist – Ian Jacques    https://www.delta-optimist.com/local-sports/local-basketball-refs-are-geared-up-to-call-a-foul-on-cancer-10156012
  2. Vernon Morning Star – Bowen Assman https://www.vernonmorningstar.com/sports/cant-boo-these-refs-as-bc-wide-cancer-fundraiser-begins-7803062
  3. Tri-Cities News  -  Janis Cleugh https://www.tricitynews.com/local-news/port-moody-beer-collab-launched-today-helps-bc-cancer-foundation-10202462
  4.  Delta Optimist – Ian Jacques OP ED           https://www.delta-optimist.com/opinion/editorial-think-pink-this-february-10156606 

~ what a bonus when the Editor lends his 2 cents / Take your time & Have a read

The Invictus Games included several of our officials. 

They deserve the spotlight for their amazing contributions.

As such we are publishing only that event on attachments today.

WAY TO GO Invictus volunteers !!!!!

The week ahead is a tough one as we head closer to basketball playoffs.

Watch for our referees wearing pink whistles, pink lanyards and pink striped shirts

* Please also take a moment to consider visiting our 2025 donation page :  

·      https://bccancerfoundation.com/pinkwhistlecampaign

 

Kindest regards

Your Pink Whistle Committee
Brent Sutter, Mike Porteous, Todd Prodanuk,  Fred Gunn, Jason Cook, Gino Bondi, Sean March, Alex Ngai, Eric Kuntz, Mike Craig, Lee Brien, Karn Dhillon

February 3, 2025

Good Monday morning as we are off and running in our 16th year of fundraising for the BC Cancer Foundation. We are 3 days into our "Call A FOUL on Cancer" awareness campaign as our basketball referees are wearing Pink Whistles, Pink Lanyards, and Pink & Black Striped Shirts during games through Feb 22nd. 

Snow will not stop our pilgrimage.

 We already have $5100 on our donation site. THANK YOU if you've made your donation. If not, You can make your donation via our dedicated 2025 donation page and collect your instant tax receipt https://donate.bccancerfoundation.com/site/TR/Events/ResponsiveTR/924669273;jsessionid=00000000.app20101c?NONCE_TOKEN=7D2D84051EA020C81D9633B6F371EF41&px=2996526&pg=personal&fr_id=2800

This Friday will be the official release of Pink Whistle Beer 

January 28, 2025

We're less than 5 days away from the launch of the 16th year of the Pink Whistle / Call A Foul on Cancer Campaign.

Basketball Referees in BC are committed to the cause. With our ongoing reach, we have made an impact on the entire basketball community.

This includes over 600 referees in BC, the Fans, Coaches, Players, Professional Photographers, and Corporations. 

How can you help?

  1. Watch & share this 2025 video on YouTube:  https://youtu.be/49OiaZAVBuI
  2. Please make your donation via our dedicated 2025 donation page and collect your tax receipt:  https://donate.bccancerfoundation.com/site/TR/Events/ResponsiveTR/924669273;jsessionid=00000000.app20101c?NONCE_TOKEN=7D2D84051EA020C81D9633B6F371EF41&px=2996526&pg=personal&fr_id=2800
  3. Support the officials wearing pink whistles, pink lanyards and pink striped shirts in February.  **Please feel free to talk to Officials before or after the game and tell them your stories. We know that everyone has someone who has been affected via cancer.
  4. Please print the attached information and ask to post it at work, or at game sites. The admission table or gym entrance is a good starting point. Perhaps the Athletic Director could have students ask fans if they'd like to Help Call a Foul On Cancer (scan the QR code & Print our materials) OR At your Office staff meetings?
  5. Players, Parents, FANS, Social Committees at Work & Students: Please let us know of any fundraising ideas you might have. No idea is too small.
  6. If your team is actively raising funds for a cancer event, Please send us photos with your players & fans / try to include school names / COMPANY Names/ mascots in your photo
  7. Coaches ~ maybe buy Pink Whistles from us to wear during your practices? 
  8. SHOUT OUT >>> The amazing realtors at Century 21 Coastal are selling whistles to their team of realtors *** Please SHARE the above with your friends and family and take note of the donors who choose to support us. Check back every week on the donation site ?

 

With over 600 officials in BC and a significant group from Alberta, our Army is ready to put boots on the ground.

Continue to help all of us to Call a Foul on Cancer. We have raised over a Quarter of a Million Dollars in our first 15 years.

Let us know how you can make a difference. Let your personal commitment take us to a new level.

Contact us by replying to this e-mail OR send to: pinkwhistlelegacyfund@gmail.com

Your Pink Whistle Committee
Mike Craig, Alex Ngai, Eric Kuntz, Brent Sutter, Sean March, Mike Porteous, Todd Prodanuk, Lee Brien, Fred Gunn, Jason Cook, Gino Bondi, Karn Dhillon

Pink Whistle ~ Summer 2024 invitation

July 22, 2024

The Pink Whistle Team invites you to join us in action at 2 exclusive "outdoor" locations in the weeks ahead:

Both events will feature high levels of adult basketball. 

The Referees will be wearing our special Pink / Black stripes with Pink Whistles & Pink Lanyards.

 

Our referees will also be involved at the BBall Nationals at the Langley Events Centre: 

  • Girls July 26th-29th 
  • Boys U10 - U14 July 30th-Aug 2nd
  • Boys U15 - U18 Aug 1st - 4th

Come support the game we all LOVE and help us to raise awareness and funds for the BC Cancer Foundation.

Our special thanks and shout out goes to our friends at the Rivers Reach in New Westminster who saluted our campaign in June with their meat draws.

If you have any fundraising ideas for us involving your friends, your teammates or work colleagues, please contact us via e-mail.

 

Please enjoy and "share" our wrap up video for year 15 ~ as presented by one of our traveling officials from Perth, Western Australia:

·      Pink Whistle Year 15 wrap up – Wei Chong May 2024: https://youtu.be/oBHoorRv71o

 

Finally, the photo compilation below brings international flavour from two of our traveling officials in China and Nagasaki, Japan.

See you on the court, both "outdoors" and indoors.

 

The BC Basketball Officials and the Pink Whistle Team:

Mike Porteous, Todd Prodanuk, Fred Gunn, Jason Cook, Mike Craig, Eric Kuntz, Alex Ngai, Lee Brien, Gino Bondi, Brent Sutter, Sean March, Karn Dhillon

 

Pink Whistle Campaign - Call a Foul on Cancer

 

January 22, 2024

 

The 15th Annual Pink Whistle fundraising campaign is about to start Monday, January 29th, 2024.

Over 600 Basketball Referees are about to gear up with Pink Whistles / Pink Lanyards & this year, many of them sporting EXCLUSIVE Pink & BLACK striped referees jerseys. Referees Coaches, Fans and the entire basketball community have bonded together as there's not one group who has not lost someone to cancer.

In our first 14 years we have raised over $215,000 for the BC Cancer Foundation

Please join us and consider a small donation.

 The 3 ways to make donations as below:

 

If you have any questions, contact us at : pinkwhistlelegacyfund@gmail.com
OR
Ask any referee at any basketball game.

January 20, 2023

The 14th Annual Pink Whistle fundraising campaign is about to start Jan 30th 2023.

Over 600 Basketball Referees are about to gear up with Pink Whistles / Pink Lanyards & this year, many of them sporting EXCLUSIVE Pink & BLACK striped referees jerseys. Referees Coaches, Fans and the entire basketball community have bonded together as there's not one group who has not lost someone to cancer.
Please join us and consider a small donation?
 
The 3 ways to make donations as below:
If you have any questions, contact us at : pinkwhistlelegacyfund@gmail.com
OR
Ask any referee at any basketball game.

July 25, 2022

The Dolphin Classic, an outdoor 4x4 basketball tournament, returned July 22-24 2022 after a 2 year postponement. The event took place at the newly resurfaced courts at Southarm Community Centre in Richmond and offered free Admission, beer garden and food concessions, and a dunk & 3 point contest.

Every year, the organizers have provided the BC Basketball Referees a unique referees jersey. Past uniforms have included bright orange & even lime green! This year, the Dolphin committee is proud to supply the referees with Black & Pink Stripes, along with their pink whistles and lanyards, in an effort to help raise awareness of the Pink Whistle ~ Cancer Fundraising Campaign. 

Thank you for your continued support of Dolphin Basketball and the Pink Whistle Campaign 

www.dolphinbasketball.com
facebook.com/dolphinbasketball
@Dolphinclassic

Contact:
Bruce Watson for Dolphin information ~ bwatson9@shaw.ca
Karn Dhillon for Pink Whistle information ~ kdhillon86@gmail.com

February 7, 2022

Over 600 Basketball BC Referees getting it done with your backing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z91lw5pU1V4

Take 2 mins to watch/and a few seconds to share our story.
Thank you for your awesome support.

Karn Dhillon & Mike Craig - GVBOA
Basketball BC Pink Whistle Team

January 28, 2022

The 2022 Basketball BC Pink Whistle fundraising campaign is officially underway.

Starting Monday, all basketball referees in BC are being asked to wear pink whistles with pink lanyards to heighten the awareness of cancer in our lives.

Help us to eradicate this horrible disease.

It’s NOW time to make a difference by making a donation to our cause.

Please hit the link to our donation site:

http://donate.bccancerfoundation.com/goto/bcboa

The campaign is scheduled from Jan 31st – Feb 19th 2022.

No donation is too small.

A tax receipt can be generated electronically in appreciation of your generosity.

This year we’ve also chosen to share the personal stories of some of our supporters.

1) "Hello it's Lawrie Johns.

I have been involved in basketball, including 15 years of officiating. Presently I’m the Executive Director of Basketball BC. This allows me to work with and see the work of basketball officials in BC. More specifically, the referees and their wonderful work with cancer awareness and fundraising for the past 12 years. 

I feel a special familiarity to BC Officials as part of the transition team leading the previous BCBOA into full membership with Basketball BC. Even more important is that I lost my wife Barb to two types of cancer. I’m pretty sure there’s no one I know who’s not been touched by this disease and I pledge all I can to join the battle.

All the basketball community needs to be proud of our officials as they raise dollars to assist the fight with the Pink Whistle campaign in 2022.

2) My name is Chad Clifford ~ Owner and Director of DRIVE Basketball. 

7 years ago I lost my father to Cancer. My mother is a cancer survivor. The initiative created by the Pink Whistle Campaign is something that is very close to my heart. 

The sad reality is, Everyone has been affected by cancer in some form or another.  It’s very important for myself and my family to give back In order to help fight against this awful disease. 

I'm proud to support our Basketball Referees as we look to raise funds and awareness of cancer and I strongly urge you to do the same. 

Please share this e-mail with at least one other person.

Please take a moment to consider a donation.

Karn Dhillon
Basketball BC Pink Whistle Team


 

March 8, 2021:

The BCBOA (BC Basketball Officials Association) would like to say:

"THANK YOU" to our friends and family members who have made a generous contribution to our 2021 Pink Whistle Cancer Awareness fund.

We not only managed to hit our fundraising goal, we did so by surpassing our all-time one year donation total.
In 2021, you helped us raise $26,387.00 for a 12 year total of just under $113,000.00.
Our determination to raise funds and awareness without the advantage of "in person cash donations" while watching games in a gym was met with a resounding response from the sporting community and media supporters. 

A month ago, I wondered out loud if the Coaches, Fans & Players missed the Referees as much as we missed being on the court with them.
In a sense I'd say that Covid conditions galvanized us. 
Thank You for finding the silver lining in the clouds.
I'm extremely proud to say that in 2021, we were all on the same team.
Take a bow and let's hear the cheer of the crowd.

 

Supporters and Partners