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 seven years of this initiative, boys’ and girls’ coaches across Indiana raised nearly $700,000. In 2013-14 coaches, teams and communities that reported raised $72,000. That makes the seven-year total from Indiana basketball coaches more than $680,000 ($680,446 through spring 2014).

For 2014-15, 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).

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, 2015.

"We are very proud of Indiana high schools," said American Cancer Society Coaches vs. Cancer specialist Kim Hoffman, who helps coordinate the IBCA initiative while overseeing ACS efforts in Indiana, Illinois and Michigan. "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: Sarah Pooler, 20450 Civic Center Dr., Southfield, MI 48076.

Please make plans now to include a "Coaches vs. Cancer" game on your schedule for the 2014-15 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 Game Day Toolkit for your school, sign up at http://coachesvscancer.org/youth.

For questions or to learn more, please contact Sarah Pooler at sarah.pooler@cancer.org or by phone at 248-663-3427. Or you can go online to coachesvscancer.org or call 800-227-2345.

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
• Name a favorite community cancer survivor and sell pink carnations in his or her honor