White Sox host 'Pink Out' for breast cancer awareness

CHICAGO -- Saturday's contest against the D-backs was designated a Pink Out Game at U.S. Cellular Field. The event was a partnership between the White Sox and the Chicagoland affiliate of Susan G. Komen in support of breast cancer awareness and education.

Fans were encouraged to show their support for breast cancer awareness by wearing pink. The game included a pregame ceremony and tribute, which included breast cancer survivors taking the field with White Sox players.

White Sox players showed their support by wearing pink caps. The Komen Chicagoland affiliate, Gilda's Club Chicago and A Silver Lining Foundation had a presence at the game, as well, and a large number of pink balloons were released about 10 minutes before first pitch.

Zoraida Sambolin, former CNN anchor and returning co-anchor of NBC 5 News Today, threw out a ceremonial first pitch. Sambolin was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a preventative double mastectomy in 2013. Lori Palasti, a longtime White Sox front office employee and cancer survivor, also threw out a ceremonial first pitch in honor of the Pink Out Game.

Sambolin is the fiancée of White Sox executive vice president Ken Williams.

"We are losing so many people because they don't take the first step which is getting tested," Williams said. "It's the same thing with prostate cancer. With Zoraida going through this, what we saw was so many women are waiting until they get to an advanced stage because they didn't get early testing.

"There are some sad stories from matriarchs being lost in families where they didn't have to be lost. So any little thing that we can try to help promote and make people aware, we are going to do that from the female side, which she does, and the male side, because it's the family that has to go through it together. And support from the male in these women's lives or the partners has to be there and aids in their recovery."