The Cosumnes River College Athletics Department held its annual Coaches vs. Cancer Night fundraiser at their final home game against Diablo Valley College. The Hawks walked away with the win while raising money for charity.
The Coaches vs. Cancer program is a nationwide collaboration between the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches. Similar events are held at every level of collegiate basketball. Since 1993, coaches nationwide have raised more than $179 million for the American Cancer Society, according to the National Association of Basketball Coaches website.
“It’s bringing together a larger community,” said Sports Information Director Jonathan Wong. “A lot of people have family members, friends who have dealt with cancer and I think it’s a night for everybody to come together and celebrate those people.”
The fight against cancer is personal for CRC. Former men’s basketball head coach James “Gym” Clark, the namesake of CRC’s home court, along with former assistant coach Charles “Chuck” Wilder passed away from battles with cancer.
“We don’t just do it to check the box,” said Athletic Director Collin Pregliasco. “We want to make sure we make a impact in the fight against cancer.”
The big ticket item for fundraising this year was a raffle of two tickets to see the Sacramento Kings play the San Antonio Spurs in De’Aaron Fox’s return to Sacramento.
“All the money we make through donations, raffle ticket sales, concessions and admissions gets bundled together and sent out to the American Cancer Society,” said Athletic Coordinator Brandon Merritt.
The donations go towards funding cancer research, advocacy and patient support, according to the American Cancer Society’s FAQ page.
Pregliasco said this year’s event raised $1,833. CRC led the state last year in money raised with $4,467 and has been in the top five of the state for the previous five years. In the last 10 years, they have raised more than $15,000.
“Everybody is impacted by cancer in some way,” said Pregliasco. “We’re all in this together.”