CIS women’s basketball: Shoot for the Cure back for 10th year after surpassing $1M benchmark
All 47 CIS women's basketball schools are set to participate in Shoot for the Cure
TORONTO (CIS) – The CIS Women's Basketball Coaches Association proudly announced Monday its fundraising initiative to raise money for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation - and other related charities - is up and running for a 10th straight year.
The Shoot for the Cure campaign has proven an overwhelming success since it was launched in the fall of 2007 with over $1 million in donations. This season, for the sixth year in a row, all 47 CIS women's basketball schools are set to participate in the program.
At the 2016 CIS championship last March in Fredericton, N.B. the WBCA presented a cheque for $98,775.90 to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. An additional$25,836.86 was amassed by universities that elected to donate their fundraised money to local or provincial organizations, bringing the overall Shoot for the Cure total for the 2015-16 season to $124,612.76, and the nine-year total to $1,011,283.64.
"Passing the $1 million mark last season in total money raised from the Shoot For The Cure initiatives was very exciting but this is a new year and we still have a terrible disease out there that affects far too many people every day," said Jeff Speedy, Shoot for the Cure project manager and head coach at the University of New Brunswick.
"My goal is not another one million, yet, but for us continue to have 100 per cent participation in the Shoot For The Cure initiative by all CIS women's basketball teams like we have for the past few years. I really want to see our women's basketball programs continue to work hard to raise awareness and funds."
Once again this year, CIS schools will raise money through regular season games, tournaments and other special events. The first Shoot for the Cure games of 2016-17 are scheduled for Nov. 25 at Victoria – host of the 2017 CIS Women's Basketball Championship – Mount Royal and Thompson Rivers
The 2017 CIS Championship is set for March 9 to 12.
The fundraising initiative was the brainchild of Rod Gilpin, the long-time bench boss of Bishop's women's program now in his ninth season as head coach of the Gaiters' men.