The Stockton Ports and Dignity Health St. Joseph’s Medical Center on Saturday marked the 18th annual Pink Night, a community event dedicated to raising awareness and funds for breast cancer care.
Decked out in pink uniforms, the Ports took the field not just for baseball, but for a mission. The evening featured a silent auction, specialty “pink drinks” with proceeds going to Dignity Health, and donations from each ticket sold. Players’ game-worn jerseys were also auctioned off, with all funds directed to support breast cancer patients treated through St. Joseph’s.
“It’s really all about awareness,” said Arthur Hill, director of the Cancer Center at St. Joseph’s. “Every opportunity we have to let people know that screening is available, we take it. Screening saves lives—when breast cancer is found early, survival rates can be as high as 95%.”
The night was both festive and heartfelt, with fans honoring survivors, remembering loved ones and learning about the life-saving impact of early detection.
Among the stories shared was that of Barbara Bean, a survivor of DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ), a type of breast cancer that can only be detected through mammograms. “Before I tell my story, I want you to look to your right, then look to your left and know that one in every eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer,” Bean wrote in a feature included in the Ports’ event program.
Despite having no symptoms or family history, Bean underwent a lumpectomy followed by radiation therapy at St. Joseph’s Cancer Institute. “Your survival is getting through the challenges of the mental, physical pain, and depression,” she said. Bean credits her recovery to not just expert care but also the emotional support she received from her medical team, family, and employer. Her message to the community: “Please, get your mammograms.”
For the Ports organization, the night served as a reminder of the team’s role beyond the ballfield. “This is about more than baseball,” said Jordan Feneck, general manager for the Stockton Ports. “Pink Night is about coming together as a community and supporting something bigger.”
With nearly two decades of Pink Night behind them, the Ports and St. Joseph’s continue to show that when a city rallies together, the impact reaches far beyond the stands.