UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State invites all cancer survivors, their families and friends, volunteers, organizers and community leaders to band together in the fight against cancer Saturday, Jan. 26 at the Bryce Jordan Center for third annual Coaches Vs. Cancer Band Together Day as Penn State takes on No. 11 Ohio State in a noon tip televised nationally on ESPN2.
Penn State will welcome all cancer survivors, their families and friends with up to four free tickets each for the game (while supplies last) vs. the Buckeyes. Survivors are asked to please contact Nathan Leopard (Nathan.Leopard@cancer.org, 814-234-1023) of the American Cancer Society (ACS) to make ticket arrangements.
Penn State Athletics will donate $3 from every ticket sold to the game to Coaches vs. Cancer-Penn State and encourages all fans to purchase a grey Band Together T-shirt for just $10 and unite as a community in the fight against cancer. All proceeds from T-shirt sells will go directly to Coaches vs. Cancer-Penn State. The Nittany Lions will don their grey uniforms for the clash against the top ranked Buckeyes and fans are asked to join in and help grey-out the Jordan Center.
Fans can get their Band Together T-Shirt on the concourse at any Nittany Lion home game, including Saturday’s contest vs. Nebraska. Shirts will be available throughout the season on the Jordan Center concourse or at any Jordan Center gate on Jan. 26. All proceeds from the sale of Band Together T-Shirts will go directly to Coaches Vs. Cancer-Penn State, which has raised nearly $2 million in the last 17 years to fight cancer and provide direct assistance to those fighting the disease in the community.
There will be a silent auction featuring signed memorabilia from Penn State and regional sports greats on the concourse during the game. The game will feature a halftime ceremony highlighting survivors and recognizing the many volunteer and professional groups in the Centre Region who have taken on the fight against cancer, including: The American Cancer Society, Bob Perks Fund, THON, Pink Zone, The Bestwick Foundation, Lift for Life, Mount Nittany Health System, Centre Volunteers in Medicine (CVIM) and Coaches vs. Cancer.
"We are excited to have the opportunity to bring the community together and contribute to the fight against cancer," Penn State coach and CVC-Penn State chairman Patrick Chambers said. "There are so many people in this community fighting cancer either because they are personally affected or have joined the cause. We are honored to be able to recognize and support them and to do whatever we can to beat cancer."
Groups are encouraged to take advantage of Penn State’s special basketball group ticket rates of $10 for adults and $5 for youth for groups of 15 fans or more by calling 1-800-NITTANY or visiting GoPSUsports.com or through Ticketmaster.
Coaches vs. Cancer-Penn State has raised nearly $2 million in the last 17 years to fight cancer and help support those affected by the disease. It has grown from an annual golf tournament started in the summer of 1996 to a year-round schedule of events, which includes the Spikes Fest, CVC 5k Fun Run/Walk, the 17th Annual Coaches Vs. Cancer Celebrity Golf Tournament (Friday, May 31), State College Brew Expo (August), and the CVC Reverse Car Drawing (September).
Coaches vs. Cancer-Penn State, now in its 18th year, raised a record of $215,000 last year, surpassing the $200,000 mark for the third-straight year, and has netted over $1 million in the last six years alone. CVC-Penn State annually ranks among the top 10 highest fundraisers among Coaches vs. Cancer organizations nationally. Much of CVC-Penn State funds are donated directly to the American Cancer Society, the largest non-profit funder of cancer research with over $30 million in research taking place in Pennsylvania each year, including three research grants totaling over $2.1 million at Penn State University. Some of the money raised also goes directly to assist those affected by the disease in the Centre Region through the Bob Perks Fund (BPF). CVC-Penn State has donated more than $220,000 to the fund.
CVC-Penn State presented a check for $38,000 to the Bob Perks Fund in December representing the fifth-straight year the organization has presented an annual grant in excess of $35,000 to the local charity.
The Bob Perks Fund is now in its seventh year providing assistance in the Centre Region. BPF provides direct assistance to individuals and families affected by cancer in Centre, Blair, Clearfield and Huntingdon counties. BPF provides financial assistance for basic necessities, such as household bills, groceries, gas and out of town lodging, which cancer patients and their families cannot afford temporarily due to their illness.
To get involved in any of Penn State Coaches vs. Cancer’s events or become a sponsor or volunteer please visit www.CVCPENNSTATE.org or call 814-330-3337.
Single game tickets for men’s basketball are available by calling 1-800-NITTANY or by visiting GoPSUsports.com/tickets or Ticketmaster. Single-game tickets for Nittany Lion games are $24 for lower bowl seats between the baselines, $18 for the lower bowl behind the baskets and upper level between the baselines and $15 for upper level behind the basket seats for adults and seniors. Youth tickets (18 and under) are $10, while Penn State student tickets (University Park or branch campus) are $5.
For all the latest information, notes, pictures and related links on Penn State basketball follow Assistant Athletic Communications Director Brian Siegrist on Twitter (@PSUSTRETCH) and check GoPSUsports.com. The Nittany Lions are also on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pennstatebasketball.