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 11 years of this initiative, boys’ and girls’ coaches across Indiana have raised more than $950,000. In 2017-18 coaches, teams and communities that reported raised more than $63,000. That brings the 11-year reported total from Indiana basketball coaches to $950,064 (thru spring 2018).

Thanks to all coaches, teams, schools and dedicated community members who plan to participate in the 12th annual IBCA initiative against cancer during the 2018-19 season.

For the coming season, ideally pick a date in January for a “Coaches vs. Cancer” game to benefit the American Cancer Society. (Note: If you use the term “Coaches vs. Cancer,” which is trademarked, the net proceeds must go to the American Cancer Society; if your event benefits another, you need to use another term to label it.). If not January, please pick a date that works for you and host a “Coaches vs. Cancer” game sometime during your season.

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). To be eligible, all funds raised during the school year must be turned into the local American Cancer Society office no later than June 1, 2019.

For accounting purposes, it helps tremendously if funds can be reported and turned in by March 15, 2019.

Indiana is part of the North Central Region of the American Cancer Society. The contact for the “Coaches vs. Cancer” program for Indiana is Eric Pittman. Eric can be reach at eric.pittman@cancer.org or at 812-475-9486. As you work to identify your “Coaches vs. Cancer” game, please alert Eric so he may assist with logistics and connect you with the best local American Cancer Society representative to help you with fund-raising ideas and details for your game.

Once you have determined the date for your Cancer-benefit game, please e-mail this info to Gene Milner (gmilner@tds.net) so we can list the game dates on our IBCA calendar of games to benefit cancer charities.

After the game, we ask you to do the following:

1. 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.
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. If you prefer, you may work directly with Eric Pittman to deliver your check.

Please make plans now to include a "Coaches vs. Cancer" game on your schedule for the 2018-19 season. Our goal is 100 percent participation of all high schools in Indiana.

Please contact Eric Pittman at ACS today | eric.pittman@cancer.org | 812-475-9486