The Chesterton-Lake Central girls and boys basketball doubleheader on Friday night at CHS will be more than just a Duneland Athletic Conference match-up.

The school’s have announced they will be participating in Coaches vs. Cancer, a program started by then University of Missouri head coach Norm Stewart when he challenged fans to pledge a dollar for every 3-point shot made by his team during the season.

Friday at CHS as part of Homecoming, the student body and staff will be participating in purple (pancreatic cancer) and pink (breast cancer) day. At the games that night, the student section will be dressed in purple and pink.

Coaches vs. Cancer is a nationwide collaboration between the American Cancer Society and the Basketball Coaches Organization at the professional, collegiate and high school levels.

The concept was adopted in 1993 by the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches and has raised over $50 million since its inception.

Not only will the student body be participating in the fundraiser on Friday night, but the officials will be sporting pink and white attire with pink whistles and purple lanyards. The Trojan basketball teams will also be wearing pink and purple uniforms.

Monetary donations for a cancer cure will be accepted at the gym on Friday night and Lake Central will be doubling the amount of money raised. All proceeds will go to the American Cancer Society.

In addition, all cancer survivors who are present in the crowd will be honored as well as those who have passed away.

Posted 1/28/2010