Jan. 26, 2017
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. ââ'¬" Championing the cause of breast cancer education, treatment and research, the Penn State women's basketball team has launched its Seats for Survivors program for the annual Play4Kay game benefitting Pink Zone. Fans can participate in the program purchasing tickets to donate to survivors and their families for the Feb. 26 contest vs. Michigan.
Interested fans and businesses can purchase tickets for the Seats for Survivors program by contacting the Penn State ticket office at 1-800-NITTANY or clicking here.
Tickets can be purchased for a cost of $10 each, with $5 of each ticket being donated directly to Pink Zone. The annual Play4Kay benefitting Pink Zone game will take place on Sunday, February 26 against Michigan inside the Bryce Jordan Center. The time for the contest will be announced at a later date by the Big Ten Conference office.
In the program's first year, the Penn State supporters and community members contributed over 1,100 tickets for survivors and their families to attend the highest scoring games in the event's history. Each ticket purchased will help achieve the goal of 2,500 tickets donated to support the Seats for Survivors program.
In the first 10 Play4Kay games, the event has grown in size and donated more than $1.6 million dollars to support breast cancer education, treatment and research. From 31 participants in its first year, Pink Zone set a record with 698 survivors in attendance during the 2014 event and raised a record $310,000 to support the fight against breast cancer.
History of Play4Kay at Penn State
- The event now known as Play4Kay started on February 4, 2007 when Penn State hosted Wisconsin at the Bryce Jordan Center to play a routine basketball game with a deeper meaning.
- The Lady Lions became the first team in the country to set the precedent of wearing pink uniforms in support of breast cancer awareness and earned a 70-61 victory. That day, the program honored 31 breast cancer survivors during a special half-time ceremony.
- The event benefits Pink Zone, which helps to promote, educate and support research to find a cure for breast cancer. The partnership has spanned all 10 years of the event and, along with the Lady Lions, helped raise $1.6 million in funds that have been donated to various beneficiaries.
- This year, six beneficiaries include; Mount Nittany Medical Center, Penn State Cancer Institute, Kay Yow Cancer Fund, PA Breast Cancer Coalition, JC Blair Memorial Hospital and Geisinger-Lewistown Hospital.