Hoops for Hope...Everyone Wins

(Coldwater, Kan. ï¿½ September 29, 2010) ï¿½ On Friday, Oct. 29, Ashland Health Center in Ashland, KS will be teaming up with Comanche County Hospital in Coldwater, KS for the second consecutive year to host a charity women's basketball game. Each team will consist of six local girls and eleven "celebrityï¿½ players and coaches. Fans in Coldwater will purchase special pink t-shirts to wear in the stands while Ashland fans will wear white with pink t-shirts. The time of the game will be announced per the approval of FSN Midwest.

Ninety percent of the proceeds, including ticket sales, apparel, concessions, raffles, contests, sponsorships, etc. will go to the WEPAC Alliance, a local foundation that pays for cancer-preventative care (such as digital mammograms) for women in five Kansas communities (Wilmore, Englewood, Protection, Ashland, and Coldwater.) Ten percent of the proceeds will go to the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund ï¿½. The weekend events are expected to raise over $100,000.

Celebrity players/coaches include WNBA players and previous college players from:

Jackie Stiles (WNBA), - Missouri State University;
Kayla Herd - Kansas State University;
Ivana Catic and Theresa Becker - University of Kansas;
Anna Florzak ï¿½ Iowa State University;
Kristi Meis ï¿½ Fort Hays State University;
Jamie Cavey ï¿½ University of Iowa;
Jelena Spiric, Amanda Went and Brooke Schwartz - University of Nebraska;
Tasha Trundle, Lynette Robinson, and Tracey Franklin ï¿½ University of Missouri;
Shannon Kate-Schweyen, Jeanne McNulty and Greta Koss-Beuler (WNBA) ï¿½ University of Montana;
Cass Bauer (WNBA) ï¿½ Montana State University
Ally Clardy ï¿½ Oklahoma State University;
Helen Darling (WNBA) ï¿½ Pennsylvania State University;
Bridget Gordon (WNBA) ï¿½ University of Tennessee;
Edna Campbell (WNBA) ï¿½ University of Texas;
Sheryl Swoopes (WNBA) ï¿½ Texas Tech University;
Sidney Spencer (WNBA) ï¿½ University of Tennessee;
Lindsey Ballweg ï¿½ Drury University

Brenda Vanlengen and Ceal Barry, two nationally recognized television analysts have agreed to cover (call) the game. Fox Sports Midwest has agreed to televise the event live across Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, and Iowa. Mechelle Voepel from ESPN.COM will also be covering the game. The KU and Wichita State cheerleaders have agreed to come and cheer at the event. They will team up to host a cheer clinic in Protection, KS the next morning to benefit the cause. It will raise an additional several thousand dollars. KU is also sending a 29 piece pep band to play at the game.

Prior to the game, at 12:00 p.m., on Oct. 29, there will be a practice session held in Ashland. It will feature all of the players for the game, the cheerleading squads from KU and K-State, 3-point contests, free-throw contests, and more.

A film crew from the movie Class C will be present to document the weekend and produce a 10- minute educational youtube video, funded by Susan G. Komen for the Cure ï¿½ Mid-Kansas Affiliate. Class C is an 88-minute documentary on girlsï¿½ basketball in rural Montana, narrated by Phil Jackson of the Los Angeles Lakers. On October 30, at 1:00 and 3:00 p.m., there will be two premiere showings of Class C at the movie theatre in Coldwater. Four former Montana players will be at the theatre to share their stories about playing basketball in small towns in Montana. All proceeds from the ticket sales and part of the proceeds from the movie sales will benefit the WEPAC Alliance and the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund.

The WEPAC Alliance is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to providing resources and education to encourage women in Wilmore, Englewood, Protection, Ashland, and Coldwater, Kansas to take active responsibility for their health. It combines the resources of Ashland Health Center and Comanche County Hospital to meet the collective health care needs of the women in their hospital districts.

The Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fundï¿½ is a 501 c(3) charitable organization committed to being a part of finding an answer in the fight against women's cancers through raising money for scientific research, assisting the underserved and unifying people for a common cause. The fund honors Kay Yow, former North Carolina State University head women's basketball coach who was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1987, and passed away on Jan. 24, 2009, after facing her third bout with the disease.

More information about Hoops for Hope and the WEPAC Alliance can be found at www.wepacthehouse.org.