Think Pink
We are giving hope to people, and hope is everything.
NC State women's basketball coach Kay Yow
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By Dave Pond, Web Communication
When the NC State women's basketball team takes the hardwood for a nationally televised, ACC conference matchup with Boston College on Sunday, Feb. 10, it will be a celebration of hope that truly takes center stage.
Led by Wolfpack women's basketball coach Kay Yow - who is currently battling breast cancer for the third time - hundreds of survivors and supporters plan to pack Reynolds Coliseum to help raise funds for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure's ongoing research efforts as well as overall awareness of the disease itself.
"One in seven people will be affected by breast cancer," said Morgan Stewart, assistant director of marketing & promotions for NC State athletics. "Everyone knows someone who has it or will have it, and having Coach Yow here is something that we can embrace to show our support for her and all she does."
There will be an emotional recognition of breast cancer survivors during halftime of Sunday's game, and fans will be given free t-shirts (while supplies last) to show their support for the survivors and Coach Yow. Hoops for Hope will also feature a commemorative game program wrap and commemorative ticket, both designed by acclaimed artist Todd Dawes.
Hoops for Hope is really something I look forward to because it is something the community can get behind," Yow said. "You have to have money to do research to help people who aren't able to help themselves.
This game gives people hope because we honor those people who are battling cancer and those who are cancer survivors," she said. "It's an incredible feeling when everyone at the game is standing and cheering for those people, for them to persevere and to press on.
"We are giving hope to people, and hope is everything."
The university's support of Hoops for Hope is not limited to the athletic department alone - commemorative warm-up suits have been created for the Wolfpack by College of Textiles faculty and students, with the help of Broadway costume designer William Ivey Long and several textiles partners across the state.
"The College of Textiles at NC State is proud to be involved in a game that raises awareness of breast cancer and celebrates the lives of survivors," said A. Blanton Godfrey, dean of the College of Textiles. "Kay Yow is a symbol of NC State, the state of North Carolina and the nation, and to be able to be a part of an event to raise money and awareness of this disease is quite an honor."
NC State's success in raising money and awareness for breast cancer through the Hoops for Hope event has helped to launch similar campaigns nationwide. This year, more than 800 schools nationwide will participate in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association's "Think Pink" program, an initiative unifying its members to assist in increasing funding and awareness for women's cancers.
On campus, the NC State Women's Center, Alumni Association, Health Promotion and Parents & Families Association have joined forces to host a sold-out pregame event at Talley Student Center, featuring special guest speakers, a wellness fair and a silent auction.
"We're all on the same team against breast cancer," Yow said. "We have this opportunity to bring everybody together and make a major difference in the lives of people, and that excites me.
"I feel that is part of the reason I'm battling cancer - I feel the Lord would help me do this," she said. "I want to try to help people to be encouraged, to persevere and give their very best and have that hope.
"With God all things are possible, so I don't count out anybody doing anything against this disease."
More than 4,500 tickets have already been sold for Sunday's game, with $5 of every ticket sold going to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. To guarantee admission to Sunday's game and avoid long lines at the ticket window, fans planning to attend the game are encouraged to buy their tickets in advance, either online, in person at the NC State Ticket office (8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday) or by calling 919-865-1510.
