A week and a half ago, the Rowland Hall volleyball team decorated its school gym with pink and white balloons and streamers. There was a table there ready to display the pink and white jerseys the players would be wearing for auction. The volleyball team was preparing for their first Swing-For-Life volleyball fundraiser to raise money for breast-cancer awareness.

It has come a long way since Howa started it six years ago in softball.

"It's incredible to see the response going from sport to sport," Howa said. "I'm really excited to see volleyball get involved. It's a great cause and Huntsman is so impressed with what these kids are doing and how much effort they're putting forth."

Howa, along with volleyball coach Kendra Tomsic, started the cause shortly after Howa was diagnosed with breast cancer.

In its first year, only three teams participated and $12,000 was raised. Last spring, schools from all over the Wasatch Front participated and raised over $45,000.

On Tuesday, Rowland Hall - along with opponent Waterford - was able to raise $3,000. Instead of getting pledges and then getting 50 pitches, the volleyball fundraiser raised money by auctioning off the jerseys that the players played in.

Erin Lence, a senior for Rowland Hall, said the event brought the team closer.

"We're all getting excited. It's been amazing, just to get out there and do whatever you can," Lence said. "It started so small but now it's a big deal in our community."

But this event won't be the only time the Rowland Hall volleyball team will be involved with the Huntsman Cancer Institute. Later this season, the team will take a tour of the Huntsman Cancer Foundation at the University of Utah to see where the money they raise will be going.

"It's not just going to be a one-night thing," Tomsic said. "We want to spread the importance of prevention. It can happen to anybody. We want to continue to talk about it."

The event has grown not only at Rowland Hall: Hunter may try to have a fundraiser to raise money for breast-cancer research and many of the colleges - including Utah Valley University and Westminster College - have also caught onto the idea.

"We stand in awe [when we think about how far it's come]. When we started, there were three teams. We would have never dreamed that it would have turned into what it's become," Tomsic said. "People have just been so open to the idea. Coaches and teams across the state are recognizing it and willing to get involved."

mthach@sltrib.com

* Kathy Howa has expanded her Swing-For-Life fundraiser from softball to volleyball.

* In its first year, only three teams participated in the softball tournament and $12,000 was raised.

* Last spring, schools from all over the Wasatch Front participated and raised over $45,000.