Coaches from around the California Pacific Conference are participating in the Coaches vs. Cancer Suits and Sneakers awareness weekend, a collaborative initiative of the National Association of Basketball Coaches and the American Cancer Society. The event is slated for Saturday January 28th, 2012.
The coaches and their staffs will wear sneakers instead of dress shoes with their usual game attire during their January 28
th games to demonstrate their support for the American Cancer Society's fight to save lives from cancer. Fans are encouraged to wear sneakers to support the coaches in the cause.
By lacing up sneakers with their suits, participating coaches nationwide will spotlight the fact that while cancer remains a major health concern, everyone can take daily steps to reduce their risk of the disease. For those who do not smoke, weight control, regular exercise and a healthy diet are the best ways to improve health and reduce cancer risk. Obesity has been shown to increase the risk for many forms of cancer, including breast, prostate and colon cancers and may account for twenty percent of cancer deaths in women and fourteen percent in men.
Jim Satalin, the director of the Coaches vs. Cancer program, said, "The Coaches vs. Cancer program is a vital, year-round link between the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketbal Coaches (NABC) that empowers basketball coaches, their teams and communities to join the fight against cancer. The program draws from the personal experiences, community leadership and the professional excellence of coaches nationwide to increase public awareness of the Society's mission to save lives and prevent cancer and to raise funds to fight the disease on a variety of fronts."
Other active participants who support the Society through the Coaches vs. Cancer program are some of nation's most recognizable coaches - five of whom have won NCAA championships, including Mike Krzyzewski, Jim Calhoun, Jim Boeheim, Roy Williams, Tubby Smith, Mike Brey, Mark Few, Phil Martelli, Fran Dunphy and Bill Self.
Since 1993, Coaches vs. Cancer participants have raised nearly $45 million since 1993, in no small part to the dedicated efforts of college and high school coaches across the country. The funds help the American Cancer Society save lives by educating and empowering people to avoid cancer or find it early, helping people facing cancer make decisions and overcome obstacles in their personal fight investing in research that yields groundbreaking discoveries into cancer's causes and cures and helping pass laws that fight cancer and keep our communities healthy.
