Tomorrow, Head Coach Nikki Caldwell and the UCLA Bruins women's basketball team will host the first annual "Carnival for the Cure." Due to the possibility of rain, the event will take place on the first level of the Morgan Center.
The event is held to raise both money and awareness of breast cancer.
According to the official press release, "The event, which is being held by UCLA women's basketball team in conjunction with the Women's Basketball Coaches' Association (WBCA) and the Iris Cantor-UCLA Women's Health Education & Resource Center, will take place from 11am-1pm."
After the event, the Bruins will host the Arizona State Sun Devils in Pauley Pavilion.
The game is UCLA's "Pink Zone" game to help support and promote breast cancer awareness. UCLA will wear special white and pink uniforms, which will be auctioned off online after the game, with proceeds to be divided between the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund, the Revlon/UCLA Breast Center and the Iris Cantor-UCLA Women's Health Education & Resource Center. Both coaching staffs, band and spirit squad will also wear pink at the game, and the first 2,500 fans in the building will receive a free pink UCLA basketball t-shirt.
Last year, the Bruins also wore pink-trimmed uniforms in a game against Washington and the auctioned uniforms raised $5,000. Here is a picture of Chinyere Ibekwe.
via grfx.cstv.com
Here's more from the release:
The WBCA's "Pink Zone" initiative is a global, unified effort for the nation's coaches to assist in raising breast cancer awareness on the court, across campuses, in the communities and beyond. In 2008, over 1,100 teams and organizations participated, reaching over 830,000 fans and raising over $930,000 for breast cancer awareness and research.
Breast cancer awareness has great meaning to the UCLA women's basketball team, as several UCLA players have had family members affected by breast cancer. Head coach Nikki Caldwell has been an avid cruisader for breast cancer awareness. She co-founded the non-profit organization, Champions for a Cause, which has raised nearly $100,000 since 2007 through Cruisin' for a Cause, a long-haul motorcycle adventure to raise dollars and awareness for a cure for breast cancer. One of Caldwell's mentors was North Carolina State head coach Kay Yow, who passed away on Jan. 24 after a 22-year battle with breast cancer.