UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – In 1995, former Penn State head men's basketball coach Bruce Parkhill established a chapter of Coaches vs. Cancer at Penn State. Over 25 years later, Penn State's chapter continues to thrive as one of the nation's most successful fundraising organizations. The Nittany Lions will continue to support that chapter in their upcoming Coaches vs. Cancer game this Monday against Iowa.
In total, Coaches vs. Cancer of Penn State has raised a net of $3.4 million dollars towards research efforts in finding a cure for cancer, along with providing resources to community members fighting the disease. For Monday's Coaches vs. Cancer game against the Hawkeyes, $5 of every ticket sold through this link will be donated to the Penn State chapter of Coaches vs. Cancer.
This game means a lot for all that are involved in the organization. For the men's basketball team specifically, it allows them to give back to the community and play for a cause that has impacted players on a personal level.
Bigger than basketball 💙
— Penn State Men's Basketball (@PennStateMBB) January 29, 2022
Monday night we play for all those who have been affected by cancer in our annual @CoachesvsCancer game - https://t.co/e134PntYvj#WeAre pic.twitter.com/D2mhbGHpT9
"Cancer is a sensitive subject for me," said Penn State senior guard Myles Dread. "My grandmother passed away from cancer the summer I was going into my junior year. To be a part of a game like this means a lot to me. The coaches do a great job of fundraising and making a difference in the world."
Those coaches are led by head coach Micah Shrewsberry, who is about to coach his first Coaches vs. Cancer game at Penn State.
Although this is a new era of Penn State men's basketball, the overall goal of the program stays the same in the effort to support those with cancer and help find a cure.
"The Coaches vs. Cancer chapter at Penn State is something that is important to myself and my family," said Shrewsberry. "My wife lost her mother to cancer and my mom is a cancer survivor. It's a cause that allows our program to do a small part for helping the CvC organization, and to get the word out in terms of what we're doing as an organization at Penn State."
Those that support the program know there will be a coach that is invested in the cause on the sidelines Monday night.
Legion of Blue's President, Jon Flatley, who works closely with the student body in organizing theme nights and giveaways for Penn State basketball, is looking forward to seeing the support from the student body and Shrewsberry's support of the annual event.
"Causes like this are really important to the students at Penn State, especially when it comes to raising awareness and fundraising for cancer," said Flatley. "I am excited to see Coach Shrewsberry's take on this annual event."
Mike Martin, the co-director for Coaches vs. Cancer at Penn State, already knows the program has a coach who will show he cares. He expressed excitement at the enthusiasm and involvement Shrewsberry has shown since stepping foot into Happy Valley.
"We were really excited to see that Coach Shrewsberry wanted to jump right in and help us from the very start of getting here," said Martin. "This game is a great way for us to be able to tell our story as a chapter and get more exposure on our mission."
Penn State's chapter of Coaches vs. Cancer has a unique relationship with the American Cancer Society through the creation of the Bob Perks Fund. Perks, who was the former president of CvC-Penn State, passed from cancer on September 5, 2005.
In 2006, the American Cancer Society approved the partnership agreement for CvC-Penn State to provide an annual grant allocation. This grant is based on a percentage of CvC's annual net revenue. In the past 16 years, CvC has allocated over $518,000 to the Bob Perks Fund. This is an astonishing step for the Centre County community as it allows a portion of the fundraising to stay local in the community.
"We're helping people in every aspect", said Martin. "We assist directly helping people here locally with their individual battles, but also, from an overall spectrum of researching to find the cure. There are a lot of programs through Penn State that we help fund."
Tip-off for the Coaches vs. Cancer game against the Hawkeyes is set for Monday, Jan. 31 at 7 p.m. inside the Bryce Jordan Center. Make sure to purchase tickets through this link for $5 of each ticket sold at this link will be donated to the Penn State chapter of Coaches vs. Cancer.