Press Releases
ATLANTA – June 2, 2010 – The American Cancer Society will host its 11th annual Coaches vs. Cancer® Golf Invitational, Presented by Under Armour®, Sunday and Monday, June 13-14, at the esteemed Oak Hill Country Club in suburban Rochester, N.Y. NCAA Division I men’s college basketball and football coaches from across the nation will compete in this fundraising tournament to support the American Cancer Society and its fight for every birthday, threatened by every cancer in every community.
Among participating basketball coaches will be Jim Boeheim (Syracuse), Gary Williams (Maryland), Jay Wright (Villanova), Phil Martelli (Saint Joseph’s), Fran Dunphy (Temple), Steve Donahue (Boston College), Bobby Cremins (College of Charleston), Jimmy Patsos (Loyola, Md.) and Dave Calloway (Monmouth University), as well as ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas. Virginia Tech football coach Frank Beamer will be playing, as will ESPN college football analyst and former Georgia coach, Jim Donnan.
Coaches vs. Cancer, a collaboration between the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), empowers coaches, their teams and communities to join the fight against cancer. Since its founding in 1993, Coaches vs. Cancer has raised more than $55 million to help the Society fund groundbreaking cancer research; provide up-to-date cancer information and education; advocate for public health policies that benefit communities; and deliver services that improve the quality of life for patients and their families. Additional information is available at coachesvscancer.org.
“The Coaches vs. Cancer Golf Invitational is a great opportunity for these coaches to enjoy a relaxing few days with each other and with friends. Their commitment of time, energy and generosity demonstrates their investment in the American Cancer Society’s mission of saving lives by helping people stay well and get well, by finding cures, and by fighting back against the disease,” said George W.P. Atkins, 2009-10 national volunteer chair, American Cancer Society Board of Directors. “These coaches’ promotion of healthy lifestyles elevates awareness of cancer at their schools, in their communities and throughout the nation, and it sends a message that the battle against cancer can be won.”
Coaches vs. Cancer supports the American Cancer Society through its involvement with numerous programs and events, also including college and high school basketball fundraisers; basketball galas; the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic – a preseason, 12-school college basketball tournament which culminates in New York City’s Madison Square Garden in November; Suits and Sneakers Awareness Weekend in mid-season; and the Fight Cancer in Style endeavor for coaches’ wives during the 2011 NCAA Men’s Final Four weekend in Houston.
“I always look forward to taking part in the Coaches vs. Cancer Golf Invitational. The work that Coaches vs. Cancer has done on a national level is truly inspiring. The fact that this year’s event takes place in Rochester is especially meaningful, because it will help us recognize the incredible leadership role played by Jim Boeheim in raising awareness for our organization in central New York. For me, it’s a chance to return to the city where I got my start in coaching under Mike Neer at the University of Rochester,” said Villanova’s Wright.
The rich history enjoyed by Oak Hill Country Club is crowned by its distinction of being the only golf course in America to have hosted the U.S. Open Championship (1956-1968-1989), PGA Championship (1980-2003), U.S. Amateur Championship (1949-1998), U.S. Senior Open Championship (1984), Senior PGA Championship (2008), and the Ryder Cup (1995). Oak Hill, designed in the early 1900s by world-renowned golf architect Donald Ross, will again host the PGA Championship in 2013.
The American Cancer Society combines an unyielding passion with nearly a century of experience to save lives and end suffering from cancer. As a global grassroots force of more than three million volunteers, we fight for every birthday threatened by every cancer in every community. We save lives by helping people stay well by preventing cancer or detecting it early; by helping people get well by being there for them during and after a cancer diagnosis; by finding cures through investment in groundbreaking discovery; and by fighting back by rallying lawmakers to pass laws to defeat cancer and by rallying communities worldwide to join the fight. As the nation’s largest non-governmental investor in cancer research, contributing about $3.4 billion, we turn what we know about cancer into what we do. As a result, more than 11 million people in America who have had cancer and countless more who have avoided it will be celebrating birthdays this year. To learn more about us or to get help, call us anytime, day or night, at 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org.
Jamie Kimbrough
Director, Media Relations
American Cancer Society
Phone: (404) 417-5889