Boys and girls varsity basketball raises money for Coaches vs. Cancer game
February 9, 2017
Raising $450 for the American Cancer Society (ACS), the boys and girls varsity basketball teams participated in Coaches vs Cancer. The teams playing for Coaches vs Cancer and the ACS was a way to play for more than just winning a game of basketball.
“Coaches and their teams recognize there are important things beyond the game of basketball,” junior Aly Lenz said. “We are able to contribute to the cause.”
The teams donated to Coaches vs Cancer and the ACS specifically due to their previous relationship with between the causes and the National Basketball Coaches Association.
“Coaches vs Cancer was chosen because the National Basketball Coaches Association and Michigan’s Chapter already have a relationship with Coaches vs Cancer and the American Cancer Society,” Athletic Director Mike Bakker said, “Therefore, it was a natural fit.”
Each year, the teams in the Flint Metro League raise money and then play a game of basketball against a team from the Genesee Area Conference, to raise money for Coaches vs Cancer.
“The girls start fundraising two weeks before the game,” senior Emma Evo said. “We wear the shirts to warm up for the game to represent the charity and we go around in each lunch and have slips that people could write their names on if they donated.”
At the Coaches vs Cancer game each year there are slips hung up on the wall of the home team’s gym. Each slip has the person who purchased it name. During the game a “Miracle Minute” is conducted where for one minute a bucket is passed around audience so that they can donate money that will be given to the ACS. The varsity basketball teams that compete against each other vary from year to year. This year the girls varsity basketball played Division, and the boys played Lake Fenton.
“Each year it is a little different,” Athletic Director Mike Bakker said. “Because the Genesee Area Conference has more teams than the Flint Metro League so seven of our Flint Metro schools competed against seven of the Genesee Area Conference schools. The athletic directors try to pair teams up based on last year’s record.”
The team’s goal is to raise awareness about cancer and how Coaches vs Cancer and the ACS help those who are diagnosed with any type of cancer.
“It brings awareness to the horrible disease of cancer in general but it also brings a monetary benefit,” Bakker said. “The money will be sent to the local chapter of the American Cancer Society here in Genesee county, some of that will go off to the national organization where they will use it to fund research and some of that money will stay right here. You already said Genesee County What a lot of people don’t realize that the American Cancer Society isn’t just doing research, they also provide rides for people who need it to go to their cancer treatment and things of that nature so some of that money will stay here in genesee county to help those other soft causes opposed to the hard cause.”
At the end, all the schools in the Flint Metro League and in the Genesee Area Conference combine all of the proceeds and donate it as one large check to the ACS. The total is still being counted at this time.
