WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HELPS FIGHT BREAST CANCER...
CLEVELAND, OH (October 12, 2006) - The Case Western Reserve University women's basketball roster lists 12 players on it, but the Spartans will multiply by four this Saturday as family and friends join them at the 2006 Komen Northeast Ohio Race for the Cure. - SEE PHOTOS!
Approximately 20,000 Ohioans will try to make a difference in the fight against breast cancer by participating in the 5,000-meter run/walk tomorrow in downtown Cleveland. The Spartans will have a team of 40-plus participants comprised of grandmothers, mothers, sisters, nieces, and friends.
"At the beginning, we were just going to do it as a team," explained Case's volunteer coordinator of the event, Dana Dempsey-pictured on page one, a senior guard from nearby Brooklyn, Ohio. "But then we thought that inviting all the females in our lives might make it more of a memorable day."
Dempsey and her team continued to brainstorm and the result was team shirts and a post race team breakfast, more incentives for total family participation. Head Coach Jacki Windon's mother Candice, is heading up the post run/walk breakfast back on campus at the Veale Center.
"It will be a great bonding experience for the whole group," said Dempsey. "You see them in the stands and say, 'hey isn't that so-and-so's mom,' but you don't really get to know any of them. In doing this, there will always be a tie we have together."
The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation Race for the Cure Series raises significant funds and awareness for the fight against breast cancer, celebrates breast cancer survivorship, and honors those who have lost their battle with the disease. This year more than 200,000 women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 40,000 will die from the disease.
"I couldn't be any happier with the girl's decision to support the fight against breast cancer," said Head Coach Jacki Windon, who will also being running in the Columbus Marathon Sunday morning. "You never know when a disease like this will affect someone close to you. It is exciting to see the girls and their families rally around one another and hopefully our donation of time and money will make an impact."
The Spartans begin their 2006-07 season, the third under Windon's guidance, Sunday (Oct. 15) with their first official practice. They begin their competitive schedule November 17-18 at the Mount St. Joseph Tip-Off Tournament.
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