Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund

Saturday morning Kay Yow, NC State University’s long time women’s basketball coach and a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, died after a long struggle with breast cancer.

She was one of our own, having played and coached at the high school level. She coached at the college level for the past 39 years and was one of only six Division 1 head women’s basketball mentors to achieve 700 career victories. In 1988 she was an Olympic Gold Medal head coach. She has been inducted in almost every Hall of Fame there is for basketball.

In 2008 the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) created the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund in honor of Coach Yow’s commitment to create breast cancer awareness and to be part of finding an answer in the fight against women’s breast cancer. This is the first health initiative chosen by the WBCA in its 27-year history. The fund is a partner to the V Foundation and is also a 501 C (3) charitable organization.

The WBCA “Pink Zone” is a designated window during each basketball season where schools across the country are encouraged to participate by raising awareness and/or funds for women’s cancers. For the 2008-09 season, the WBCA Pink Zone will take place February 13-22, 2009. Some teams simply wear pink shoelaces, while other teams wear pink jerseys and invite breast cancer survivors to their games. Whether the effort is small or large it is all part of a collective effort by the women’s basketball community to make a statement in the fight against cancer.

At the December meeting of the NCHSAA Board of Director’s, Kay Yow’s involvement and contribution to the Association and high school sports were recognized. Since she has been a wonderful role model and inspiration for so many, the Board moved to support and endorse our schools involvement in the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund and other such activities and projects.

While participation is strictly voluntary, the NCHSAA hopes that the memberships will embrace this common cause. Your school and LEA should approve all activities and projects. For more information on the WBCA Pink Zone specifically, please visit their website – http://www.wbca.org/pinkzone.asp

Donations can be made to:

Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund

The V Foundation For Cancer Research

106 Towerview Court

Cary, NC 27513

(919) 380-9505