TORONTO (U Sports) – The U Sports 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 U Sports women's basketball schools are set to participate in the program.
At the 2016 U Sports 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 U Sports 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, U Sports 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 U Sports Women's Basketball Championship – Mount Royal and Thompson Rivers
The 2017 U Sports 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.
SHOOT FOR THE CURE YEAR-BY-YEAR DONATIONS:
2015-2016: $124,612.76 ($98,775.90 to CBCF)
2014-2015: $125,361.76 ($102,312.05 to CBCF)
2013-2014: $138,360.58 ($112,898.03 to CBCF)
2012-2013: $110,553.96 ($90,450.62 to CBCF)
2011-2012: $121,248.70 ($98,706.92 to CBCF)
2010-2011: $143,596.25 ($104,763.53 to CBCF)
2009-2010: $104,715.80 ($94,650.96 to CBCF)
2008-2009: $92,512.96 ($81,512.96 to CBCF)
2007-2008: $50,320.87 ($50,320.87 to CBFC)
TOTAL: $1,011,283.64 ($834,391.84 to CBCF)
SHOOT FOR THE CURE 2016-2017 SCHEDULE:
Date – Time (all times local) - Host - Event
November
25 18:00 Victoria Regular season vs. UBC
25 18:00 Mount Royal Regular season vs. MacEwan
25 18:00 Thompson Rivers Regular season vs. UBC Okanagan
26 13:00 Waterloo Regular season vs. Western
26 17:00 UBC Regular season vs. Victoria
26 18:00 UPEI Regular season vs. Memorial
26 16:00 Manitoba Regular season vs. Alberta
December
1 18:00 Alberta Regular season vs. MacEwan
3 17:00 UNBC Regular season vs. Thompson Rivers
January
7 18:15 Saskatchewan Regular season vs. UBC
10 18:00 Dalhousie Regular season vs. Acadia
13 18:00 Carleton Regular season vs. Nipissing
13 18:00 Ottawa Regular season vs. Laurentian
14 18:00 Lakehead Regular season vs. Brock
14 17:00 Lethbridge Regular season vs. Saskatchewan
14 17:00 UBC Okanagan Regular season vs. Victoria
14 17:00 Brandon Regular season vs. MacEwan
14 18:00 Queen's Regular season vs. Toronto
19 18:00 Concordia Regular season vs. McGill
20/21 18:00/17:00 Calgary Regular season vs. Saskatchewan
20 13:00 Laurentian Regular season vs. Nipissing
21 18:00 Laurier Regular season vs. Toronto
21 18:00 McGill Regular season vs Concordia
21 18:00 Brock Regular season vs. York
27-29 12:00 Toronto Events all weekend / Regular season vs. McMaster (28th)
28 18:00 Regina Regular season vs. Calgary
28 18:00 Windsor Regular season vs. Ottawa
28 17:00 UQAM Regular season vs. Laval
February
1 18:00 Ryerson Regular season vs. York
3 18:00 Saint Mary's Regular season vs. StFX
3 18:00 Winnipeg Regular season vs. Regina
3 18:00 MacEwan Regular season vs. UBC Okanagan
4 18:00 Algoma Regular season vs. Western
10 18:00 Nipissing Regular season vs. Laurentian
10 18:00 York Regular season vs. Ottawa
10 17:00 Trinity Western Regular season vs. UBC
10-11 18:00/20:00 UNB Regular season vs. StFX (women & men)
11 20:00 Bishop's Regular season vs. Laval
11 18:00 Guelph Regular season vs. Lakehead
11 18:00 Memorial Regular season vs. UPEI
17 18:00 Laval Regular season vs. UQAM
17 18:00 Acadia Regular season vs. StFX
More games will be added at a later date.
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