One in eight is too many.

According to the American Cancer Society, one in eight women — about 13% — will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. Except for skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the United States.

That’s why research and support for such an important cause are critical in decreasing those numbers. As is often said about breast cancer, early detection saves lives.

For the past 10 years, St. Edmund Prep H.S., Sheepshead Bay, has celebrated October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month with a monthlong series of fundraising events. Dubbed the “Dig Pink” campaign, the movement is spearheaded by the school’s girls’ varsity volleyball program.

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Starting in 2016, St. Edmund Prep partnered with the Side-Out Foundation, a nonprofit charitable organization, to raise funds for breast cancer research. Funds raised from the month’s activities support the foundation’s mission of working toward a cure.

Each year, an Eagles girls’ varsity volleyball player is named the Dig Pink Ambassador and coordinates the activities associated with the event.

This year’s Dig Pink Ambassador was senior team captain and right-side hitter Kaleigh Klein, who has been proud to step up to the challenge her senior year.

“This is such a great cause to support breast cancer awareness, so especially during my senior year, I wanted to take that role as a leader,” Klein said. “Senior year is all about the ‘lasts,’ so I wanted to do this for my volleyball team. Dig Pink is really special.”

For Klein, the October journey began with meeting the school’s principal, Allison McGinnis.

With the support of the faculty and administration, Klein mapped out the events for the month, aiming to raise $7,000 for the Side-Out Foundation. Every $2,000 allows Side-Out to conduct research specifically for patients with metastatic breast cancer, the most advanced form of the disease, and the least-funded area of study.

Highlights from this month included multiple bake sales, T-shirt sales for a dress-down day, a 50/50 raffle, raffling of New York Rangers tickets, and the always-popular students vs. faculty volleyball match. For the bake sales this year, they were strategically held on game days, allowing any leftovers from the school day to be sold as concessions during the games.

On Oct. 15, the Eagles’ junior varsity and varsity volleyball teams hosted Bishop Loughlin H.S., Fort Greene, in the annual Dig Pink matches. The student-athletes wore their special pink T-shirts, and students, faculty, families, and supporters showed up in droves to support the cause, as is customary within the tight-knit community at St. Edmund’s.

“The legacy of Dig Pink is really important,” said Danielle Johnson, a 2000 graduate of St. Edmund and the school’s co-athletic director. “At St. Edmund Prep, we love traditions, and we love to see them grow. This is always our first showcase during the school year to show who we are.”

Volleyball is such a team sport, with six players on the court in constant communication, that it’s fitting that it serves as the premise for the school’s breast cancer awareness campaign, since raising funds for the cause has also been a total team effort.

“It’s important to bond with the girls and have a great relationship before we play volleyball,” Klein said. “Off the court, we are all really great friends, and I think that helps with Dig Pink too, because all the girls know we have to help each other.”

Each year, the Dig Pink Ambassador gains valuable real-world planning skills that will undoubtedly help in her journey to college and a professional career. The faculty is there to guide her every step of the way.

“Kaleigh’s been absolutely incredible getting these girls behind her, having them believe in her, and wanting to do it for her,” Johnson said. “They all believe in this cause and what can be done.”

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Once again, early detection is so crucial in terms of breast cancer, so a month-long series of events like Dig Pink raises the public’s awareness to get screened. The most up-to-date medical guidance recommends that women schedule a mammogram starting at age 40 or earlier, depending on their family history.

Dig Pink is always a win-win. St. Edmund Prep works valiantly to support breast cancer research, and through the efforts of the student-athletes and their faculty mentors, the school community is further strengthened.

When it comes to a worthy cause, these Eagles soar!