There are many statistics with which measure the impact of the University of the Fraser Valley women’s basketball team this season, but one stat they’re particularly proud of is the final fundraising total from their recent Shoot for the Cure event.
The Cascades hosted a dinner and silent auction at Finnegan’s Pub & Grill on Thursday, Jan. 22, and the following evening’s home game vs. UBC Okanagan was designated their Shoot for the Cure night where they sold pink T-shirts and wristbands and solicited direct donations from fans.
Feather Bryce, a local breast cancer survivor, gave powerful speeches at the dinner and at halftime of the women’s basketball game the next day, sharing her experiences battling the disease.
It was all in support of the B.C./Yukon chapter of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, and the Cascades’ charitable efforts generated over $3,800 for breast cancer research.
Hailey Kendall, a second-year UFV guard who coordinated the fundraiser this year, was pleased with the end result. She said it was encouraging that even though the Friday, Jan. 23 game was the designated Shoot for the Cure night, fans continued to donate at Saturday’s game as well.
“I was kind of shocked by that – that people were still donating and raising awareness,” Kendall enthused. “It was a really fun atmosphere, and people were getting the message that we were trying to get across.
“I thought it went really well. A lot of people came out and had a good time.”
The Shoot for the Cure campaign was launched in 2007 by the CIS Women’s Basketball Coaches Association and has proven an overwhelming success, bringing in over $760,000 in donations in its first seven years (not including the current 2014-15 season). This season, for the fourth year in a row, all 47 CIS women’s basketball schools are participating.
To view a gallery of photos from UFV’s Shoot for the Cure night, click here.
• The Cascades women’s basketball team begins its playoff run this weekend, taking on the Regina Cougars in a best-of-three first-round series. Games are scheduled for Friday (6 p.m.), Saturday (6 p.m.) and Sunday (2 p.m., if necessary).
The UFV women’s basketball team put together a successful fundraising event for breast cancer research.