IBCA E-Newsletter

January is ‘Coaches vs. Cancer’ month

The IBCA again has designated January as “Coaches vs. Cancer” month for high school Basketball in Indiana. In the first five years of this initiative, boys’ and girls’ coaches across Indiana raised nearly $500,000. In 2011-12 coaches, teams and communities stepped up to raise $113,000. That makes the five-year total from Indiana basketball coaches more than $473,000.

For 2012-13, 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.

The American Cancer Society also will present banners to programs that meet certain levels of donations. Categories are Champion ($10,000 or more), MVP ($5,000 to $9,999) and All Star ($2,500 to $4,999).

In August 2012, the American Cancer Society recognized coaches from Carroll (Flora), Columbus North and South Dearborn as top schools for 2011-12 with a golf outing and dinner hosted by Notre Dame men’s basketball coach Mike Brey.

This January, we are asking every IBCA boys' and girls' coach to select a game to promote “Coaches vs. Cancer.”

All participating schools will be recognized this year on www.coachesvscancerindiana.org; those raising a total of $2,500 or more through all sports will receive a "Coaches vs. Cancer" recognition banner imprinted with the school’s name. To be eligible, all funds raised from throughout the school year must be turned into the local American Cancer Society office no later than June 1, 2013.

"We are very proud of Indiana high schools," said American Cancer Society Coaches vs. Cancer specialist Tara Miller, who helps coordinate the state’s effort among IBCA coaches. "And we are extremely proud of our partnership with the IBCA in this extraordinary campaign.

“The commitment of the coaches, teams, parents and participants makes a real impact in the lives of those touched by the disease. We are truly grateful for the continued support. By working together, we can all join the team to create a world with less cancer and more birthdays."

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:

1. E-mail or write Steve Witty to let him know you participated and how much money was collected
2. Call Bob Lovell of Indiana SportsTalk and let him know how much you collected
3. 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, Attention: Tara Miller, 5635 W. 96th Street, Suite 100, Indianapolis, IN 46278.

Please make plans now to include a "Coaches vs. Cancer" game on your schedule for the 2012-13 season. Our goal is 100 percent participation of all high schools in Indiana.

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 Tool Kit, sign up at www.coachesvscancerindiana.org or contact Tara Miller at (317) 344-7807 or tara.miller@cancer.org.