Bill Self spends evening for a great cause – Coaches vs. Cancer
Link CoachesvsCancer.org
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – More than 700 dignitaries and coaches spent Thursday evening at the Grand Ballroom at Bartle Hall at the ninth annual Coaches vs. Cancer Season Tipoff fundraiser.
ESPN broadcaster Jay Bilas and Sports Radio WHB personality Danny Clinkscale hosted the event headlined by long-time Missouri coach Norm Stewart, a cancer survivor who played an instrumental role in starting Coaches vs. Cancer (CVC) in 2008.
Clinkscale and Bilas served as emcees for the event, while area men’s basketball coaches Bill Self from Kansas, Bruce Weber from Kansas State, Kim Anderson from Missouri, Kareem Richardson from UMKC and Gregg Marshall from Wichita State mingled with the many Coaches vs. Cancer donors throughout the evening before taking the stage.
“A big credit goes to Norm (Stewart) for getting it off the ground and the American Cancer Society has taken the ball and ran with it,” Self said of the Coaches vs. Cancer cause. “I remember when we first started doing this, it was pretty nice. It was okay. And now it has become a big-time national thing. I’m pretty proud of it and it’s for a great cause.”
Money was raised for the Coaches vs. Cancer 2016 Season Tipoff by purchasing a ticket to the event along with silent and live auctions throughout the evening’s festivities. Money raised from the evening goes directly to the Kansas City American Cancer Society.
“I think it means something to everybody,” Self said. “It’s touched everybody in some way, shape or form. It’s awful. It’s dreadful. There are so many positive things that have happened since Coaches vs. Cancer started. There have been so many funds raised through so many outlets. We’re making ground but we still are not doing it fast enough.”
Following a reception and dinner, Clinkscale and Bilas conducted a roundtable on the Grand Ballroom stage with the coaches and Stewart discussing a variety of basketball topics. Some war stories were exchanged much to the delight of those in attendance.
About Coaches vs. Cancer
Founded in 2008, Coaches vs. Cancer is collaboration between the American Cancer Society and athletic coaches that empowers the coaches, their teams, and local communities to make a difference in the fight against cancer.
Coaches vs. Cancer is a nationwide collaboration between the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches. Coaches vs. Cancer leverages the leadership and personal excellence of basketball coaches nationwide to increase awareness and promote healthy living. Coaches vs. Cancer leverages the leadership and personal excellence of basketball coaches nationwide to increase cancer awareness and promote healthy living.
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