News

Play4Kay efforts take center stage at Feb. 14 VU basketball games

Vincennes University Logo

February 06, 2018

VINCENNES, Ind. - The Vincennes University Athletic Department, in cooperation with VU Student Activities and Housing and Residential Life, will again work to increase awareness of breast cancer and help generate research funds on Feb. 14 when the Trailblazer Men’s and Women’s Basketball Teams host John A. Logan (women at 5 p.m.; men at 7 p.m. EST) at the P.E. Complex.

The 2017 Play4Kay initiative at VU generated $3,955 for the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. Since the Fund’s inception in 2007, the Play4Kay Cancer Fund's national initiative has generated more than $5.38 million for scientific research focused on women’s cancers.

Kay Yow passed away from stage 4 breast cancer in early 2009. She coached North Carolina State from 1975 until shortly before her death. Yow was inducted into the Naismith National Basketball Hall of Fame with more than 700 career wins.

Fans are encouraged to wear this year’s blue VU Play4Kay t-shirt to the games or any pink shirt. T-shirts may be purchased for $10 at the VU Athletic Office or purchased the night of the Play4Kay event.

At the Feb. 14 fundraiser, VU Athletics will conduct a silent auction with 100 percent of the proceeds going towards Play4Kay. Fun activities are planned for halftimes and timeouts during the games.

In partnership with The Kay Yow Cancer Fund, the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association, and the VU Foundation, VU will donate proceeds from the Feb. 14 gate admission to the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. In addition, VU Athletic Director and Women’s Basketball Coach Harry Meeks is distributing pledge cards around the VU campus; cards are also available in the VU Athletic Office on the lower floor at the P.E. Complex. The Athletic Office will accept pledge card donations throughout the month of February.

Donations can also be made directly online by visiting www.vinu.edu/web/athletics and then scrolling down to the Kay Yow cancer fund option.  That will take users to the VU Foundation Athletic donation page.

Coach Meeks, while serving as the assistant coach at Western Carolina University, had the pleasure of meeting Kay Yow several times. This left a lasting impression on him and made this cause personal to him and to Vincennes University.  This is VU’s sixth consecutive year promoting the Play 4 Kay event with plans to continue in the future.

For VU Play4Kay information contact Lesa Tucker, lltucker@vinu.edu or 812-888-4511. For more information about the Play4Kay Cancer Fund, visit https://kayyow.com/.

###

LINK to VU Online Newsroom, click HERE