Coker Women's Basketball to Play 4 Kay

HARTSVILLE, S.C. – The Coker College women's basketball team will host a "Play 4 Kay" game during its contest with Catawba College on Wednesday, Feb. 11. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m.

"Play 4 Kay" is a weeklong initiative across women's basketball to raise breast cancer awareness and funds for research across campuses, in communities and beyond. It has raised over $2 million to support women's cancer research. The initiative is in honor of Kay Yow, a former women's basketball coach who lost her battle with breast cancer in 2009. All proceeds from the week benefit the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. 

"We are honored to be playing this game for a third year," said head women's basketball coach Jenny Finora. "Our goal is to raise awareness and funds for cancer and continue to do our part in honoring Kay Yow. Kay's impact on the game of basketball and the fight on cancer is second to none and we want everyone to celebrate her life and fight."

The Cobras will help raise funds for cancer research by donating $1 for every free throw made during the game. The Coker Student Athlete Advisory Committee will also be selling pink ribbons that will be placed on the Coker Wall of Honor.

Coker will also be giving away free pink "Play 4 Kay" rally towels to the first 150 fans in attendance. Fans are asked to wear pink to the game in support of breast cancer awareness.

Donations will be collected during Wednesday's game, and they can go directly to the cause or be donated with a specific person in mind. Finora has established a donation account for friends of Coker. To donate to this group, visit here.

For additional information on the event, or to donate, contact Coach Finora at 843-383-8075 or jfinora@coker.edu.

About The Kay Yow Cancer Fund

The Kay Yow Cancer Fund, in partnership with the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) and The V Foundation, is a charitable organization committed to being a part of finding an answer in the fight against women's cancers through raising money for scientific research, assisting the underserved and unifying people for a common cause.

Kay Yow, former North Carolina State University head women's basketball coach, was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1987, and passed away on January 24, 2009, after facing her third bout with the disease. With the creation of the Fund, Kay hoped to raise money to further cutting-edge research conducted by the nation's top doctors and medical experts to allow more and more cancer patients to have access to experimental drugs and clinical trials.

Since the majority of these research projects are privately funded, these researchers desperately need our support in order for them to continue to make strides in finding a cure for cancer. To date, the Fund has raised over $7 million in support of women's cancer research.