The IBCA again has designated January as “Coaches vs. Cancer” month for high school Basketball in Indiana.
In the first eight years of this initiative, boys’ and girls’ coaches across Indiana raised more than $750,000. In 2014-15 coaches, teams and communities that reported raised more than $78,000. That brings the eight-year reported total from Indiana basketball coaches to $758,690.
For 2015-16, ideally pick a date in January for a “Coaches vs. Cancer” game. If not January, please pick a date that works for you and host a “Coaches vs. Cancer” game. This season, we are asking every IBCA boys' and girls' coach to select a game to promote “Coaches vs. Cancer.”
Once you have determined the date for your “Coaches vs. Cancer” game, please e-mail this info to Gene Milner (gmilner@tds.net) so we can list the game dates on our “Coaches vs. Cancer” calendar. During this game, we are asking you to pass a container through the crowd (or make one available at your ticket counter) for fans to make donations. Checks should be made payable to "American Cancer Society."
After the game, we ask you to do the following:
- E-mail Gene Milner to let him know how much money was collected and to what charity it was donated if other than the American Cancer Society.
- Call Bob Lovell of Indiana SportsTalk and let him know how much you collected
- Send a check for the amount collected (payable to the "American Cancer Society") to Steve Witty, P.O. Box 638, Plainfield, IN 46168, who will forward it to the Coaches vs. Cancer office, or you can send it directly to the American Cancer Society. Here is a list of ACS offices in Indiana with the senior manager of each:
- American Cancer Society-Southern Indiana Office: 5250 Vogel Rd., Main Level, Evansville, IN 47715. Phone: 812-475-9244. Senior manager: Eric Pittman.
- American Cancer Society-Central Indiana Office: 5635 W. 96th Street, Suite 100, Indianapolis, IN 46278. Phone: 317-344-7800. Senior managers: Jeff Johnson, Alexandra Alvarez, Stephen Hunt.
- American Cancer Society-Northern Indiana Office: 130 Red Coach Drive, Mishawaka, IN 46545. Phone: 574-257-9789. Senior manager: Suzanne Tracy.
- American Cancer Society-Northeast Indiana Office: 111 East Ludwig Road, Suite 105, Fort Wayne, IN 46825. Phone: 260-471-3911. Senior manager: Suzanne Tracy.
Indiana is part of the Lakeshore Division of American Cancer Society. The contact there is Sarah Pooler, Senior Community Manager, 1775 Abbey Rd., East Lansing, MI 48823. Phone: 517-644-1311.
Please make plans now to include a "Coaches vs. Cancer" game on your schedule for the 2015-16 season. Our goal is 100 percent participation of all high schools in Indiana.
Here is a note from ACS “Coaches vs. Cancer” specialist Sarah Pooler.
“The American Cancer Society would like to thank the IBCA and coaches who engage their players and schools in our Coaches vs. Cancer initiative. Last year alone, schools and youth leagues across Indiana helped raise over $74,000 to support ground-breaking cancer research and local programs and services for those facing the disease.
“The American Cancer Society is passionately committed to saving lives and invites you and your athletic program to join our team this year. We strive to make your participation in this life-saving effort fun, impactful and easy to implement, by providing resources, ideas and local staff support to ensure that your fund raising and awareness campaigns are successful.
“Participating schools are eligible for our annual banner recognition program. Receive your official Coaches vs. Cancer All-star banner when your school teams raise $2,500, an MVP banner at $5,000, or a Champion banner when your school hits the $10,000 mark.
“To learn more, contact the American Cancer Society nearest you (see list below) or e-mail sarah.pooler@cancer.org.
Connect with us: https://facebook.com/CVCIndiana | https://twitter.com/CVCLakeshore
To help support activities at your school, the American Cancer Society will provide a Coaches vs. Cancer Tool Kit with information on how to get started, ideas for fundraising, sample materials to help with local promotion, and a post-event reporting form to submit along with all donations to your local American Cancer Society office.
To request a Coaches vs. Cancer Game Day Toolkit for your school, sign up at http://coachesvscancer.org/youth.
For questions or to learn more, go to coachesvscancer@cancer.org or contact one of the offices listed above.
Promotional Ideas for Coaches vs. Cancer
- Sell Coaches vs. Cancer donation cards prior to the event and/or at the game and create a Wall of Hope with the names of those touched by cancer
- Coins for cancer / bring loose change
- Home Room competition
- Signed basketball give-away (Wilson might donate basketballs)
- Posters in memory of cancer victims
- Donate money to put up poster, with name of cancer survivor
- Paper airplanes at halftime: Fans pay $1 when they enter gym. At halftime, fans try to fly their paper airplane into the center of jump circle for prizes
- Coaches or players wear pink socks
- Sell specifically designed T-shirts with appropriate message Coaches vs. Cancer
- Cheerleaders wear pink sock and bows in their hair
- Some ADs donated $1 for each ticket purchased
- Classes set up donation bucket at home games
- Dress-down day for high school students
- Pink warm-up shirts and pink shoe laces
- Players wear game shoes with shirt, ties, dress pants and go into stands to collect
- 10 percent of gate sales donated
- Silent auction
- Proceeds from the sale of cookies and ice cream during lunch break
- Identify a cancer survivor from your community and sell pink carnations in his or her honor
