AMHERST, N.Y. - The Daemen College Athletic Department is pleased to announce that the basketball doubleheader scheduled for this Friday, January 22 between the Wildcats and Molloy College here at Lumsden Gymnasium will serve as Daemen's Suits and Sneakers/Wear Pink Game presented by ADPRO Sports.

The event here on Friday comes in observance of Coaches vs. Cancer Suits and Sneakers Awareness Week, a nationwide event when basketball coaches across the country unite for a common cause - saving lives from cancer.  Both the men's and women's basketball coaching staffs, led respectively by Mike MacDonald and David Skolen, will don sneakers with their normal sideline attire this Friday, as will both coaching staffs from Molloy College.  

The nationwide portion of the event is technically scheduled for January 25-31, but Daemen has chosen to participate a few days early since the Wildcats do not host any home games during that time span.  The event is co-sponsored nationwide by the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches.

"We are proud to be a part of the Coaches vs. Cancer team," MacDonald said.  "We are happy that the Wildcats can help in any way in the fight against cancer and we hope that all of our Wildcat faithful will help us as we battle this dreaded disease."

Fans attending the games here on Friday are encouraged to show off their support for this initiative by matching the coaching staffs' dress code with their own suits and sneakers, or by wearing pink-colored clothing.

Numerous promotional activities are planned throughout the doubleheader to help spread the word about the fight against cancer.  A ceremonial tip-off featuring special guests of honor will be held prior to each game, and there will be ways for attendees to donate to the American Cancer Society, including through 50/50 raffles and a baked goods sale.


About Coaches vs. Cancer
The Coaches vs. Cancer program is a nationwide collaboration between the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC). The initiative leverages the personal experiences, community leadership and professional excellence of coaches nationwide to make a difference in the fight against cancer. The program seeks to increase cancer awareness and promote healthy living among students, faculty and staff, fans and the community at large. Since its inception in 1993, the American Cancer Society Coaches vs. Cancer initiative has raised more than $93 million to support the Society's mission.

About the American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society is a global grassroots force of more than three million volunteers saving lives and fighting for every birthday threatened by every cancer in every community. As the largest voluntary health organization, the Society's efforts have contributed to a 20 percent decline in cancer death rates in the U.S. since 1991, and a 50 percent drop in smoking rates. Thanks in part to our progress nearly 14 million Americans who have had cancer and countless more who have avoided it will celebrate more birthdays this year. While marking our 100th birthday in 2013, we're determined to finish the fight against cancer. We're finding cures as the nation's largest private, not-for-profit investor in cancer research, ensuring people facing cancer have the help they need and continuing the fight for access to quality health care, lifesaving screenings, clean air, and more. For more information, to get help, or to join the fight, call us anytime, day or night, at 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org to learn more.