Throughout the month of February, NAC Institutions have been holding events in conjunction with women's basketball contests to raise awareness and money to fight breast cancer.

Saturday, February 9
Becker women's basketball and visiting Elms warmed up in "Think Pink" t-shirts (pictured right) and as part of a joint effort, and helped raise $414 for the Kay Yow/Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Cancer Fund. The fundraiser took place during last Saturday's North Atlantic Conference (NAC) game at Becker. All game day staff and coaches wore pink in support of the event.

Maine Maritime hosted a "Think Pink" event in conjunction with the women's basketball game against Johnson State. Both institutions had pink warm-up shirts, and Maine Maritime collected contributions for Breast Cancer research and gave away pink bracelets to the crowd. The Lady Mariners wore pink shoelaces in their sneakers and the scorer's table personnel wore pink wigs. Fans, administrators and coaches joined in wearing pink as well.

Green Mountain College (a NAC member beginning in 2008-09) encouraged fans to wear Pink and ran a 50/50 raffle with proceeds donated to the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund during three basketball games over the weekend. 

Saturday, February 16
The Johnson State women's basketball team and visiting Elms will be wearing pink t-shirts during their warmup on Saturday, February 16. The institution will be selling shirts that match as well for anyone in attendance. In addition Johnson State will be doing a 50/50 raffle and the money raised will go to the breast cancer foundation.

Friday, February 22
Castleton is planning an event when the women's basketball team hosts Johnson State on Friday, February 22.  Both teams will receive T-shirts and pink bracelets. All proceeds from admission and an auction will be donated.

Saturday, February 23
Maine-Farmington will be wearing pink t-shirts and the coaching staff will be wearing pink when their women's basketball team visits Thomas College.

About WBCA's "Think Pink" Initiative 

The "Think Pink" initiative is a global, unified effort for the Women's Basketball Coaches Association's (WBCA) nation of coaches to assist in raising breast cancer awareness on the court, across campuses, in communities and beyond.

The WBCA began "Think Pink" in 2007 as an initiative to raise breast cancer awareness in women's basketball, on campuses and in communities. In 2007, more than 120 schools unified for this effort and helped make the inaugural year of the WBCA's "Think Pink" a success.

The Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund is a 501 c(3) charitable organization committed to being a part of finding an answer in the fight against cancer through raising money for scientific research, assisting the underserved and unifying people for a common cause.

To learn more about this National Program visit this website: http://www.wbca.org/kayyowwbcacancerfund.asp

Kay Yow, North Carolina State University head women's basketball coach, is a past president and founding member of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), and a galvanizing voice for the Association. Yow was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1987, and is currently battling the disease for the third time. In her 36 years as a head coach at the college-level, Yow is one of only six Division I head women's basketball mentors to achieve 700 career victories. Yow was also the head coach of the 1988 US Olympic Team that won the gold medal in Seoul. The Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund

was announced on December 3, 2007, during the Jimmy V Classic. The Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund, in partnership with The V Foundation for Cancer Research, will raise money in the fight against cancer. It was appropriate to announce this Fund during the Jimmy V Classic because of the connection between Jim Valvano, former North Carolina State men's head basketball coach, and Kay Yow, North Carolina State women's basketball coach.