Hokie ClubTheAmerican Cancer Society will host its 12th annual Coachesvs. Cancer® Golf Invitational, Presented by Under Armour®,Sunday and Monday, June 12-13, at the renowned The Ocean Course atKiawah Island (S.C.) Golf Resort. NCAA Division I men’s collegebasketball and football coaches from across the nation will competein this fundraising tournament to support the American Cancer Societyand its fight for every birthday, threatened by cancer in everycommunity.
Among head basketball coaches scheduled to play in this year’sCoaches vs. Cancer Golf Invitational on Kiawah Island will be JimBoeheim (Syracuse), Roy Williams (North Carolina), PhilMartelli (Saint Joseph’s), Fran Dunphy (Temple), TubbySmith (Minnesota), Seth Greenberg (Virginia Tech), FranMcCaffery (Iowa), Bobby Cremins (College of Charleston),Mark Gottfried (NC State), Gary Williams (formerly ofMaryland), Norm Stewart (Missouri, retired, and Coaches vs.Cancer founder), Jim Harrick (formerly of Rhode Island,Georgia and UCLA), and Doc Rivers (NBA Boston Celtics), aswell as ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas. Headfootball coaches Frank Beamer (Virginia Tech) and SteveSpurrier (South Carolina) are also slated to be playing.
Coaches vs. Cancer, a collaboration between theAmerican Cancer Society and the National Association of BasketballCoaches (NABC), empowers coaches, their teams and communities to jointhe fight against cancer. Since its founding in 1993, Coaches vs.Cancer has raised nearly $70 million to helpthe Society fund groundbreaking cancer research; provide up-to-datecancer information and education; advocate for public health policiesthat benefit communities; and deliver services that improve thequality of life for patients and their families. Additionalinformation is available at coachesvscancer.org.
“The Coaches vs. Cancer Golf Invitational provides a tremendousopportunity for these outstanding coaches to enjoy the relaxingcamaraderie rarely afforded them during the heat of the collegebasketball season. As well, they bring their individual commitmentsof time and passion for the American Cancer Society that speak boldlyto our mission of helping people stay well and get well, find curesand fight back against the disease,†said Stephen L. Swanson,2010-11 national volunteer chair, American Cancer Society Board ofDirectors. “These coaches do so much to promote healthy lifestylesand to elevate cancer awareness at their schools, in theircommunities and throughout the nation, and their efforts continue tosend a message that the battle against cancer is winnable.â€
Coaches vs. Cancer supports the American Cancer Society through itsinvolvement with numerous programs and events, also including collegeand high school basketball fundraisers; basketball galas; the Coachesvs. Cancer Classic – a preseason, 12-school college basketballtournament which culminates in New York City’s Madison SquareGarden in November; Suits and Sneakers Awareness Weekend inmid-season; and the Fight Cancer in Style endeavor forcoaches’ wives during the 2012 NCAA Men’s Final Four weekend inNew Orleans.
“I am honored to be part of the Coaches vs. Cancer program, becauseit unites us all in our battle against this disease. As coaches, weare always trying to find a way to better ourselves and find a way towin, and any small contribution we can make in this battle againstcancer is valued and important,†said Virginia Tech’s Greenberg.“Despite the fact that we compete against each other all year long,there isn’t a coach who doesn’t agree that this is a battle inwhich we, as a group, can make a difference.â€
In2012, The Ocean Course will host the 94th PGAChampionship, the year’s fourth and final major title event on theworld golf stage. Twenty years ago, The Ocean Course hosted the RyderCup Matches, the world-renowned biennial golf competition betweenteams from the United States and Europe, jointly administered by thePGA of America and the European Tour.
The Ocean Course was recently rated 25th in Golf Digestmagazine’s listing of the “100 Greatest U.S. Courses,†andfourth-best among U.S. public golf courses. Following its historichosting of the 1991 Ryder Cup’s “War by the Shore†– won bythe U.S. team on the final round’s final putt, The Ocean Coursehosted the 2007 Senior PGA Championship. Located on Kiawah Island’seastern-most end, the Pete Dye-designed, 7,356-yard, par-72 courseboasts more seaside holes (10) than any other golf course in theNorthern Hemisphere.
The American CancerSociety combines an unyielding passion with nearly a century ofexperience to save lives and end suffering from cancer. As a globalgrassroots force of more than three million volunteers, we fight forevery birthday threatened by every cancer in every community. We savelives by helping people stay well by preventing cancer or detectingit early; by helping people get well by being there for them duringand after a cancer diagnosis; by finding cures through investment ingroundbreaking discovery; and by fighting back by rallying lawmakersto pass laws to defeat cancer and by rallying communities worldwideto join the fight. As the nation’s largest non-governmentalinvestor in cancer research, contributing more than $3.5 billion, weturn what we know about cancer into what we do. As a result, morethan 11 million people in America who have had cancer and countlessmore who have avoided it will be celebrating birthdays this year. Tolearn more about us or to get help, call us anytime, day or night, at1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org.