CIS Women’s Basketball Fights Breast Cancer

OTTAWA – The CIS Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) proudly announced Friday its fundraising initiative to raise money for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation – and other related cancer charities – is up and running for a fourth straight season.

‘The Shoot For The Cure’-campaign has proven an overwhelming success in its first three years with just under a quarter of a million dollars in donations.

At the 2010 CIS championship last March in Hamilton, the WBCA presented a cheque for $94,650 to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, surpassing the $81,512 collected in 2008-09 and $50,320 in the initiative’s inaugural season in 2007-08.

In addition to these impressive totals, $21,064 was amassed over the past two years by schools that elected to donate their fundraised money to local cancer organizations.

Once again this year, CIS women’s basketball programs will raise money through regular season games, non-conference matches, tournaments and special events.

The University of Western Ontario Mustangs kicked off the 2010-11 activities Wednesday night when they hosted the York Lions in non-conference action in London. 

The fundraising resumes this weekend in Winnipeg and St. John’s as the Manitoba Bisons host the Garbonzo’s Invitational Tournament while the Memorial Sea-Hawks hold their annual ‘Think Pink Weekend’.

“Our Shoot For The Cure initiative is back for a fourth year and we are excited to try to reach our goal of raising $100,000 for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation,” stated UNB head coach and Shoot for the Cure project manager, Jeff Speedy. “We are also going to work very hard to get every single CIS women’s basketball team to participate. We believe we can make a difference in the fight against breast cancer and are excited to get back to work.”

The fundraising initiative was the brainchild of Rod Gilpin, the long-time bench boss of the Bishop’s women’s program now in his third season as head coach of the Gaiters’ men’s team.

The 2010-11 ‘Shoot For The Cure’ schedule is currently comprised of 33 events.

(Source: Michel Belanger, CIS Communication Manager)