BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- Roughly 142 Bridgewater State College student-athletes and coaches, all clad in pink Nike Breast Cancer hats, participated in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk this past Sunday along the Charles River Esplanade in Boston. 

WeGotSoccer, a local business owned by Bridgewater State men's soccer alum Mike O'Connor, was a first-time flagship sponsor at the event.  All told, there were roughly 350 walkers brought in by WeGotSoccer, formerly known as Gotshalk's, with a high percentage of them associated with the BSC athletics teams.

Bridgewater State teams that participated in the event were: women's soccer, men's soccer, field hockey, women's lacrosse, women's basketball, men's basketball, volleyball and wrestling.  Also joining BSC at the walk were the Wentworth, Mass. Maritime and Curry College women's soccer programs.

O'Connor, who is the husband of BSC head women's soccer coach Andrea Zeigler O'Connor, has been directly affected by the disease as he lost his sister, Kelly, to breast cancer six years ago.  Also, the Bears' women's soccer team has seen three of its player's mothers fight the battle against breast cancer the past two years and fortunately all three are doing well.

WeGotSoccer pledged $60,000 and have currently raised over $50,000 with donations still coming in.  O'Connor expects to exceed the $60,000 mark.  The BSC women's soccer team itself donated and helped to raise roughly $750 and possibly even more.