Alma Athletics Sponsors Cancer Awareness Week
The Alma College Athletics Department is sponsoring Pink Zone Breast Cancer Awareness Week with a series of activities culminating with the women’s and men’s home basketball doubleheader on Saturday, Feb. 6 in Cappaert Gymnasium.
• Tuesday, Feb. 2 has been designated Community Pink Day at Alma, in which students, faculty and staff are encouraged to wear pink in support of breast cancer awareness.
• Women’s basketball coach Keisha Brown will share her experiences as a breast cancer survivor at 7:15 p.m. Friday, Feb. 5 in Dunning Memorial Chapel. Admission to the talk is free and open to the public.
Alma College women's basketball coach Keisha Brown
• Local groups will be on hand with breast cancer informational materials in the Hogan Center lobby during the Feb. 6 basketball doubleheader. The women’s game against Hope College tips off at 1 p.m., while the men host Adrian College at 3 p.m.
• Raffles will take place during the two games, culminating with the grand prize raffle of a jWIN Mini Stereo MP3/CD Player at halftime of the men’s game. Other raffle items include a pink official Wilson game ball signed by the 2009-10 women’s basketball team and gift certificates from areas restaurants and businesses. All proceeds from the $5 admission, raffle ticket purchases and donations will go to charities that promote breast cancer awareness.
Coach Brown was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007 and underwent surgery and four rounds of chemotherapy. In 2008, Brown had a reoccurrence of cancer and underwent a double mastectomy and six weeks of radiation. Now, as a survivor, she is doing what she can to enhance awareness and share her experience with others.
“This week is all about bringing awareness about the disease to the community,” says Brown. “Everyone has been affected by cancer in some form or fashion. We are hoping that Pink Zone Week will give people more knowledge and understanding of this disease and cancer in general.”
The Pink Zone initiative is a global, unified effort for the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association’s (WBCA) in raising awareness of breast cancer.
Posted: Mon, February 1st, 2010 at 8:13AM
