Many people are inspired to raise money for breast cancer research because they know someone touched by the disease. Not Marcus LaBarge, a senior at Fayetteville-Manlius High School.

"I just wanted to do a good thing,” he said. “I’m always just out there for helping people.”

Marcus and his friend, 2009 F-M graduate Mike Scaturo, came up with a fundraising idea – a Pink Out, they called it – that raised $3,000 last year for Susan G. Komen for the Cure, a global foundation which supports breast cancer research.

This year, Marcus hopes to build on that success with a Pink Out that will raise even more money.  This year’s donation will go to the Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer Research Fund, Inc., a prominent local breast cancer research foundation.

The idea for a Pink Out came to Marcus and Mike during lunch one day after they had seen a news story about a women’s basketball team raising money by playing in pink jerseys. 

“Breast cancer is a big issue,” he said. “I thought we’d just try to do something annually.”

They decided to sell pink T-shirts, which the wearer could use as an admission ticket to an F-M boys home basketball game. Marcus’ father, Stephen LaBarge, donated the money they needed to buy the shirts. They quickly sold 250 T-shirts shirts at $12 each. They ordered 30 more on a rush job and sold those, too. 

This year, Marcus has ordered 300 pink T-shirts, which he plans to sell for $15 each. Pink Out day will be Feb. 12, and the shirts will allow wearers to get into the game against Corcoran at 7 p.m. at F-M High School. Members of the basketball team will wear Pink Out shirts as they warm up for the game. Both teams will wear pink ribbons during the game. 

Carol Baldwin will address the crowd during halftime. Members of her foundation’s staff will be on hand to answer questions and to sell bracelets as a separate fundraiser.

T-shirts are available by calling 391-8900 or 682-9696.