WICHITA, Kan. – Members of the Wichita State men's and women's basketball coaching staffs are joining 4,000 of their coaching colleagues from around the country this week to help raise awareness and financial support for the American Cancer Society.
During upcoming home games against the Illinois State women (Sunday, 2 p.m.) and the Southern Illinois men (Tuesday, 6 p.m.), the Shocker staffs will trade dress shoes for tennis shoes as part of the annual Coaches vs. Cancer Suits and Sneakers Week.
WSU coaches will also help launch this year's Coaches vs. Cancer 3-Point Challenge. Through pledges from fans, every Shocker three-pointer between now and March 1 will raise money for the American Cancer Society.
The American Cancer Society works to provide hope, support and answers to more than 15.5 million cancer survivors living in the U.S. today. Since the Coaches vs. Cancer program began more than 20 years ago, college and high school coaches have raised over $100 million to help save lives.
Norm Stewart, former head coach of the University of Missouri's men's basketball program, cancer survivor, and member of the National Association of Basketball Coaches, provided the vision and inspiration to create Coaches vs. Cancer. He challenged fans to pledge a dollar amount for every 3-Point shot made by his team during the season. The concept, then called the 3-Point Attack, evolved into a nationwide effort uniting coaches, fans, players, and communities across the country to assist in the fight against cancer.
Fans can join Wichita State's Coaches vs. Cancer 3-Point Challenge PLEDGE IT campaign by visiting team-specific links for the Shocker men (
pledgeit.org/cvc-wichita-state) and Shocker women (
pledgeit.org/cvc-wichita-state-women).
Follow the leaderboard and see how the Shocker stack up nationally by visiting
3pointchallenge.org/leaderboard.html.
For more information on the Coaches vs. Cancer Suits and Sneakers Awareness week, visit
coachesvscancer.org/suitsandsneakers.
About Coaches vs. Cancer:
Coaches vs. Cancer is a nationwide collaboration between the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches. This initiative leverages the personal experiences, community leadership, and professional excellence of coaches nationwide to increase cancer awareness and promote healthy living through year-round awareness efforts, fundraising activities, and advocacy programs. Since 1993, coaches have raised more than $100 million for the American Cancer Society.
