Women’s Basketball to Host WBCA Pink Zone Event on February 15
Framingham, Mass. – The Framingham State University women's basketball team will be raising awareness in the fight against breast cancer on Tuesday night as they will participate in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Pink Zone initiative.
The Rams are scheduled to host Westfield State at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday and will wear pink t-shirts. The women's basketball team encourages all fans to wear pink and show their support for the cause.
The Rams will be selling "Breast Cancer Ribbons" which will be hung on the wall in the gym during the Pink Zone game. The ribbons, which can be purchased in honor of a cancer survivor or in memory of someone lost to the disease, are on sale for a $5 donation at the game or prior to the game in Coach O'Brien's office.
Formerly known as "Think Pink", the WBCA began the WBCA Pink Zone in 2007 as an initiative to raise breast cancer awareness in women's basketball, on campuses and in communities. The late Kay Yow, former North Carolina State University head women's basketball coach, served as the catalyst for the initiative after her third reoccurrence of breast cancer in 2006.
In 2007, more than 120 schools unified for this effort and helped make the inaugural year a success. In 2008, over 1,200 teams and organizations participated, reaching over 830,000 fans and raising over $930,000 for breast cancer awareness and research. The 2009 campaign raised over $1.3 million, reached over 912,000 fans, unified more than 1,600 participating teams and organizations, and saw 56+ schools break attendance records at their event. In 2010, over 1,800 participants came together to surpass $1,045,000 in donations and reached more than 922,000 fans across the nation. Over 22 schools broke attendance records through their participation.
Overall, the WBCA Pink Zone has raised nearly $3.3 Million, has reached almost 2.7 Million fans, and has unified over 4,700 participants in only four years.
The WBCA's charity of choice is the Kay Yow Cancer FundTM, in partnership with The V Foundation. The WBCA strongly encourages all donations from WBCA Pink Zone games to be given to the Fund. The late Kay Yow, the Fund's namesake and former N.C. State head women's basketball coach, served as a catalyst for starting the WBCA Pink Zone. After three bouts with breast cancer, Yow passed away in January 2009.
For more information on the WBCA Pink Zone, please visit www.wbca.org/2011pinkzone.