Kay Yow was vocal about her desire to have the tickets for her annual Hoops 4 Hope sell out one day.
In the event’s fourth year, that dream was realized. Interim head coach Stephanie Glance said she and her team were on a road trip when they heard the news that the game had sold out. “It was an emotional thing because that’s something coach Yow had a vision for,” Glance said. “It’s a tremendous tribute to her and her battle.” The annual event raised more than a quarter of a million dollars for Yow’s personal charity, the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund. A silent auction added to that total, and several other organizations included contributions. GlaxoSmithKline presented a $200,000 check and two local high schools delivered the money raised in their own Hoops 4 Hope events. All in all, the event raised twice as much money as last year’s $42,400 and more than 10 times the total of the original Hoops 4 Hope in 2006. Senior guard Shayla Fields said she was in awe of those who supported Yow and her team. “This game was bigger than just a win or a loss for us – it was about women fighting a deadly disease,” Fields said. “I was grateful for the support people gave to coach Yow and her team.” Virginia head coach Debbie Ryan, who coached opposite Yow for 31 years, said the N.C. State coach had another goal that was finally met. “This was what Kay fought for, not the least [of] which was the television coverage,” Ryan said. “She fought back in the 1980s for television coverage, and she had a long battle trying to get us on a television.” Ryan said although her Cavaliers fell to the Wolfpack, 60-54, the night was a special one for her. “For me, it was more of a celebration of what Kay wanted and how she would have wanted it,” Ryan said. “She would have been very proud.” More than 250 of Yow’s fellow breast cancer fighters, dressed in dozens of shades of pink, lined up on the court at half time. They held up signs that indicated how long they have been cancer-free. “When the attention started to go to Yow, she accepted that, only saying ‘I will carry the banner for cancer survivors,'” Glance said. Glance said another part of Yow’s plan included expanding her message across the United States. “Pink events are being held all over the country, from collegiate teams to high schools,” Glance said. “That was also Kay Yow’s vision, to give the women’s basketball community a way to give back.” Be the first to comment on this article!