Coach Kay Yow and the women’s basketball team will host Boston College Sunday in the third-annual Hoops for Hope fundraiser, which will benefit the Susan G. Komen For the Cure, N.C. Triangle Affiliate. The event, organized through collaboration between the Jimmy V Foundation for Cancer Research and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association, is intended to honor breast cancer survivors and help raise money to benefit research for a cure. This year, more than 800 universities across the country have signed up to participate in what is being called the “Think Pink” initiative.
Anything less than a sold-out crowd at this game is unacceptable. Breast cancer awareness is a cause that touches the lives of nearly every individual, and this event represents an opportunity to acknowledge some truly inspirational women. Attendance for women’s games has been waning this season, but now is the time to turn that trend around.
The game will tip off at 4:30 p.m. at Reynolds Coliseum and has already sold more than 4,500 tickets, as per an estimate made Tuesday. Tickets are available at gopack.com and for each ticket sold, $5 will be given to the donation fund, and individuals will also have an opportunity to participate in a silent auction where they can bid on sports memorabilia, jewelry, concert, event tickets and hotel vouchers.
Hoops for Hope was first organized in 2006 to raise money and to honor Yow as one of the most accomplished coaches in the history of womenÕs basketball. This year, she has put out a call to the students to give the fundraiser the support it deserves.
“I wish there was some way we could connect with all the students on campus for a tie-in with Hoops for Hope because it would give a student perspective. It would be neat if the students could do something special,” Yow said in an interview Tuesday.
Students need to honor this request and attend the game — not only to support our team, but also to pay respect to Yow as a model of strength and courage for our University. As an Olympic gold medal winner, a Hall of Famer and a coach with more than 700 wins under her belt, Yow is a truly admirable figure and a living legend at N.C. State.
