On September 2, 2022, a sea of purple appeared under a setting sun, as current Woodgrove students, alumni, and family rallied together to cheer on the Woodgrove Football team in their Friday night game. The one difference between this game, compared to others, was the combined energy to play hard and spread love while mourning the remembrance of friend, teammate, student, and daughter Colette Baine.

Tributes

The day before the game, Woodgrove seniors honored Colette Baine by attending the annual Senior Sunrise. As peers filed into Woodgrove, students Annika Rohs, Erin Collins, Megan Collins, and Maddie Shea hosted a fundraiser selling purple bracelets to show awareness for Epilepsy; they read “CB13 Always & Forever.” A minute of silence was held during the sunrise for Colette. As the class of 2023 sat on the field, they were joined with Colette’s family. 

The outpouring of love for Colette didn’t stop there. During Friday night’s game, football players were being decked out in purple, and the athletic trainers showed support by wearing purple polos. As the team stormed the field, Senior Mason Vacca proudly waved a green flag with Colette’s signature number, 13, while seniors Tony Cammarota, Jaden Boring, Brayden Fuchs, and Alec Hughes held hands and carried Colette’s basketball jersey to center field. 

During the game’s second half, Fox News made an appearance to document the monumental game and enormous effect Colette had on her friends and families. The newscast interviewed one of Colette’s closest friends, Senior Madi Badillo, Cheer Captain. 

Badillo, decked out in purple bows and ribbons with #13 decals also wore a trademark piece from Colette’s basketball uniform, her white Nike headband.“Just having it with me today breaks my heart but makes me happy to know that she’s with me on the sidelines and all her other peers,” Badillo said.

Fox News also interviewed Colette’s close friend, Senior George Hughes, who raised close to $14,000 for the National Epilepsy Foundation in Colette’s memory. 

Basketball Legacy

Colette, sporting the number 13 on her jersey, has been a star player for Woodgrove’s Varsity Girls Basketball team since her freshman year in 2019. In the locker room, Colette hyped her teammates by playing “We Are Young ” by Fun. Then she ran onto the court with a contagious smile and completed her trademark starting lineup handshake with Senior Maddie Shea, who snuck a selfie with Colette before returning to the bench.  She may have been all smiles and giggles off the court, but once the whistle blew, she was driven and competitive. 

In many games of the 2021-2022 season she was the highest scorer on the team, in addition to her high number of assists, steals and rebounds. She also contributed from the bench, cheering and encouraging all of her teammates. She embodied a Woodgrove Basketball principle: “Let go of the last play and focus on the next one.” Even in the toughest games of the season, Colette orchestrated waving, dancing, singing, and even barking, to keep the mood light and fun.

Many of Colette’s teammates plan to wear purple shoes and headbands during the 2022-2023 basketball season to raise awareness for epilepsy and remember the great contribution Baine made to the Woodgrove basketball program. Friends and former teammates who now play at higher levels also plan to wear the number 13 in the upcoming season. 

The lives Colette Baine touched will be changed forever, and her loving spirit will never be forgotten.