TVCC hosts Play4Kay initiative Wednesday, Feb. 28

By Benny Rogers/TVCC Information

For an 11th straight year, Trinity Valley Community College is teaming up with the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association to raise awareness in the fight against breast cancer.

TVCC is participating in the WBCA’s Play 4Kay initiative, which began as “Think Pink” in 2007. TVCC has designated the Wednesday, Feb. 28, game against Tyler Junior College at Cardinal Gym as its Play 4Kay event. Game time is 5:30 p.m. The TVCC-Tyler men’s game will follow at 7:30 p.m.

The initiative is named in memory of former North Carolina State head women’s basketball coach Kay Yow, who died after a third recurrence of breast cancer in January 2009. The movement continues to grow and change lives, especially during February.

Yow recorded 737 victories during her coaching career while also guiding the United States Women’s Basketball team to the gold medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics. In June 2002, Yow’s accomplishments earned her induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. In July of 2007, Yow was presented with the inaugural Jimmy V. ESPY Award for Perseverance.

To date, the fund has raised more than $8 million in support of women’s cancer research. Due its unique partnership with The V Foundation, the fund utilizes Scientific Advisory Board to ensure your donations support the cancer research projects with the most potential. Thus, grant recipients funded by the Kay Yow Cancer Fund have remarkable standing within the scientific community.

Yow felt as if coaches not only shared a profession but a community. It is with this communal mentality that Yow, despite her humility, served as a platform to rally a nation of coaches to be a part of one team against one opponent – cancer. Her battle against breast cancer was fought in the public arena with the hope of inspiring others to be a part of a greater cause. Yow’s vision for the Fund encompasses not only her wish to fund cancer research but also her desire for coaches to enrich their lives by serving others.

Last year, thanks to the help and support of its fans, TVCC sent $7,171 to the Kay Yow Fund, according to TVCC President Dr. Jerry King.

As a result of last year’s total, TVCC was named the divisional winner among community colleges for a fourth straight year and received an award at the NCAA Women’s Final Four.

There will be several opportunities to contribute at the Play 4Kay game. T-shirts will be available for $15 (two for $25) and there will be a silent auction for several items, including the following:

  • A private, 30-minute shootaround with the Lady Cards at Cardinal Gym upon the conclusion of the season
  • A full-size autographed Troy Aikman helmet
  • A 16 x 20 combo “Hail Mary” photo signed by both Roger Staubach and Drew Pearson
  • A Mike Tyson-autographed boxing glove
  • A framed authentic game-used Texas Stadium turf
  • A Beatles U.S. album discography collage
  • An Emmitt Smith-signed Texas Stadium seat bottom

For more information on the silent auction please contact Jeremy Richardson at 903-675-6359.

Donations will also be accepted.

All fans wearing pink to the game will be admitted free and all cancer survivors will be recognized at halftime.

Fans will also be able to make any size donation (minimum $1) for a replica pink basketball in memory of someone who has lost their fight against cancer, in support of a cancer survivor, in support of caregivers, Lady Cards, Cardinals, coaches, band, cheerleaders, Cardettes or any organization you would like to recognize at TVCC. The basketballs will be placed on the gym wall.

The college’s goal is to blanket the gym with hundreds of these pink basketballs.

Lady Cardinal basketball players and Cardinal cheerleaders will participate by wearing event t-shirts. The Lady Cardinals will wear event t-shirts during warm-ups and the cheerleaders will wear event t-shirts throughout the game.

For fans unable to attend the game, it will be webcast at www.tvcc.edu.