“I didn’t want breast cancer to change me but it did, it changed the way I look at my kids, the way I look at the sunset … the way I look at life,” said Lisa Bird, Kings mom and special education assistant at J.F Burns upon reflecting on her diagnosis in 2012 and her life since.

On Friday night at the Knights football game, locked hand-in-hand with Knights team captains, Bird stood at mid-field as an honorary team captain — and won the coin toss for the Knights …

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The stadium was filled to the brim with pink from both Kings and Loveland fans. Booths were open all along the front of the stadium offering tattoos, raffle tickets, shirts, cookies and information on the Pink Ribbon Girls foundation.

After the coin toss women and their families who’ve battled breast cancer were honored in a recognition ceremony on the fifty yard line.

Kings and Loveland have played in the Rumble for the Ribbon game the past two years. The Rumble for the Ribbon is a community event hosted at either Kings or Loveland high schools. Pink T-shirts are sold at both schools, with all proceeds helping the Pink Ribbon Girls organization purchase meals, provide housekeeping, rides to treatment, and peer support and education for women and their families who are fighting breast cancer.

Friday night, the Knights went into the half with a score of 14-7 over Loveland. During halftime the annual pass/punt/kick event was in full swing. Students Kaitlyn Gilbert from Kings and Tim Wirtz from Loveland both competed.

The Knights defeated Loveland 35-14. The celebration was continued after the game at Wings and Rings, where a portion of all meals purchased from 9-midnight went to the Pink Ribbon foundation.

The Knights’ next game will be 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 28 against Withrow at Knight Stadium.

By Evan Warner