When Aislinn Breslin Winter looked out at the field on a crisp October Saturday, she didn’t just see her players ready for a game of field hockey; she saw a community coming together. What began as a simple idea, spreading awareness for pancreatic cancer through Project Purple and honoring her late mother, who passed from the disease in 2022, grew into something much bigger. It became a full day of remembrance, celebration, and support, all painted in purple.
Aislinn, a collegiate player and current head coach for the field hockey team at Carmel High School in New York, had found a way to combine her love of field hockey with her role as a Project Purple Ambassador, creating a unique event that touched hundreds of lives.
Championing a Cause: Becoming a Project Purple Ambassador
Aislinn’s journey with Project Purple began through her love of running. After her mother passed from pancreatic cancer, she looked for ways to make a difference in awareness for the disease. When she discovered Project Purple while searching for a U.S.-based charity to run with for the London Marathon, she realized the organization’s mission aligned with her own: to support families affected by pancreatic cancer while funding critical research.
Her first fundraising experience for Project Purple exceeded all expectations. “I thought I could raise $7,500, but I ended up raising $9,500,” she recalled. That success showed her just how tangible an impact she could make, prompting her to think, “If I could do that for one race, let me see what I can do as an ambassador.” Motivated by that realization, she applied soon after and officially became a Project Purple Ambassador.
As an ambassador, Aislinn embraced opportunities to support the cause in diverse ways. While she continued running in major races, including the New York Half-Marathon and the upcoming Tokyo Marathon, she also sought community-based initiatives that went beyond running, where more people could participate.
After hearing all the fun and cool events other Project Purple Ambassadors were putting on, like pilates classes, fishing groups, and yard sales, Aislinn was inspired to design something of her own. Field hockey, a sport she has played and loved since second grade, provided the perfect platform.
“Not everyone is a runner, but almost everyone can relate to a community event or a team sport,” she says.
Her ambassadorship not only gave her a platform but also a sense of purpose. “Being part of Project Purple made me feel like I wasn’t alone. There’s always someone cheering for you, in your corner, and it’s like being on a team,” Aislinn shares. “I grew up being on a team with field hockey, so it’s that team aspect that I always appreciate that Project Purple provides.”
It was this sense of community and support that inspired her to bring people together through her own event, blending her love of the sport with a meaningful cause.
A Community Game to Remember
Aislinn turned a routine home field hockey game at Carmel High School into something more: a gathering that brought players, families, and the community together in a way that felt new and special. The event featured purple ribbons, balloons, scrunchies, and posters, with players, families, and friends all joining in to honor loved ones and support Project Purple, and even the visiting team joined in solidarity.
The centerpiece of the event was a custom t-shirt that combined the Carmel High School logo with Project Purple, sold ahead of time to players, families, and community members. Aislinn had initially expected the shirts to be worn primarily by her team, but the response exceeded expectations, selling nearly $2,000 worth of shirts to players, families, and supporters from across the community.
While pink games are a well-known tradition in October for raising awareness around breast cancer, Aislinn wanted to create a space specifically for pancreatic cancer awareness, and the purple theme offered a meaningful way for everyone to come together. Aislinn remembers her girls exclaiming, “I’ve never bought so much purple stuff before in my life!”
Aislinn wasn’t surprised at her team’s enthusiasm, saying, “They were doing what I thought they would do, they went overboard, and I loved it.” Anytime there’s a fundraiser or an event needing volunteers, she often finds herself with more help than she could possibly need. “It’s such a specific sport that’s growing, but it’s not as prominent as others, so it creates such a strong sense of family,” Aislinn explains.
Her team’s dedication is evident in everything they do. “If it’s a game, if it’s a practice, one of the things I loved about my team this year is they kind of went above and beyond everything,” she says.
The significance of the color purple grew when one of her players pointed out that it represents all cancers. From that moment, every participant was encouraged to create a poster honoring anyone they had lost to cancer, broadening the event’s tribute to include loved ones affected by any type of the disease.
The broader tribute, paired with pancreatic cancer awareness, held special significance. Many of the players, now in high school, fondly remembered Aislinn’s mother, Marian, from her time as their elementary school nurse.
“They were really excited to honor my mom, and then really excited to honor any of their loved ones that they’ve lost,” Aislinn recalled. One of her players even created a beautiful poster for Marian without being asked, reflecting how much the students loved her and wanted to celebrate her life.
Remembering Marian: A Personal Inspiration
At the heart of Aislinn’s dedication to Project Purple and the field hockey event was her mother, Marian, whose warmth, compassion, and unwavering support left a lasting impact on everyone who knew her.
In May of 2021, Marian began experiencing persistent back pain. As a nurse, she initially attributed it to muscle strain, but after a visit to her primary care doctor, who recently had a friend diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, Marian was diagnosed with the disease. Surgery wasn’t an option due to the location of the tumor, but she bravely endured chemotherapy for several months. Eventually, she transitioned to hospice care and passed away in February 2022.
Marian’s dedication to others was evident throughout her life. She was known for making everyone feel welcome, supported, and valued. “She was the absolute best mom. I never had to question if she had my back. If I got in trouble, I could call her, let her yell, but at the end of the day, I knew she was still on my side,” Aislinn recalls.
Beyond her family, Marian’s impact extended to her students, colleagues, and friends; she was their number one fan and a steady source of comfort. Aislinn notes that a defining quality she inherited from her mother is the desire to make others feel loved and included, something that guided her in creating the purple field hockey event.
Being a diehard Mets fan, too, Marian brought her enthusiasm and energy to everything she loved, from sports to family gatherings. Her joy, compassion, and ability to make everyone feel included left a mark that Aislinn carries forward in both her personal life and her work with Project Purple.
Uniting Passions
For Aislinn, the field hockey event was more than a fundraiser; it was a way to connect her two greatest passions: the sport she has loved since childhood and her dedication to Project Purple. Reflecting on her early years playing field hockey, she remembers her parents’ unwavering support, never missing a single game, even when it was hours away.
So, having her family there at the field hockey event was incredible and reminded her of how meaningful it is to share the things she loves with the people who support her most.
“Having everyone in the same space celebrating a sport we all love, plus something I’m really passionate about, was really exciting,” Aislinn shares. “It was a very calming day because I was surrounding myself with all the things I love the most. So it was cool to connect those two.”
Being an ambassador for Project Purple has been “an amazing experience” for Aislinn, not just for the community aspect, but also for the opportunity to raise awareness for pancreatic cancer more broadly. “It’s been really exciting to kind of be a voice for such a strong community that is Project Purple, and a voice for a disease that doesn’t often get the attention it needs or deserves,” she reflects.
Aislinn advises anyone who wants to start a community event not to be afraid of feeling lost and to embrace the learning process. With the guidance and support of the Project Purple team, anyone can bring their ideas to life.
“You might feel like you don’t know anything, but you’re not supposed to know everything,” she says. She recommends using the resources available to you, including Project Purple, saying, “There are people who know what they’re doing, so trust them, step outside your comfort zone, and take the leap.”
If you’d like to organize your own event to support Project Purple, just like Aislinn did, visit our community events page to learn more and get started.
To apply to become a Project Purple Ambassador, contact us for an application and join a community dedicated to making a difference.
