Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (April 12, 2000)
r Coaches continued from page 1 Men’s basketball coach Ernie Kent, whose father recently died from cancer, said he thinks Val vano’s battle with cancer and eventual death drew more atten tion to the disease and also helped the program get started. University of Kansas basketball coach Roy Williams spearheaded building the program after he col lapsed on an airplane and was lat er discovered to have cancer. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States, and the ACS predicts about 552,200 Americans will die this year — 1,500 people per day. Since Kent was named head coach in April 1997, his team has participated in the program ever season. He said the organizers do a good job promoting the program and recruiting sponsors. Each year, members of the ACS organize a “tip-off” breakfast, which both Kent and Runge at tend. Guests at the breakfast are encouraged to pledge either a flat amount or a dollar figure per three-point basket made for the upcoming season. The pledge forms are available at McArthur Court and the athletic department and are distributed at local busi nesses, such as U-Lane-O Credit Union and U.S. Bank. At the end of the season, the ACS bills pledgers, multiplying the number of three-point baskets the sponsored team made and the amount the donor pledged at the beginning of the season. This sea son, the women’s team scored 103 three-point baskets, and the men scored 186. Jeanne Havercroft, who is the resource acquisition specialist for the southern region of the north west division of the ACS, said this year’s pledges ranged from .05 cents to $2 per basket. Though the primary function of the program at the University is to raise money, nationally the pro gram’s goals go beyond fund rais ing. Coaches also raise awareness by attending summer camps and visiting classrooms. Members of the coaches coun cil, the governing body of Coaches vs. Cancer, serve as advocates for anti-tobacco legislation. The or ganization also sponsors visits with cancer patients. Kent said he is pleased to be able to participate and help raise awareness through the program. For participating teams, the time commitment is small, Kent said. Other than attending the breakfast at the beginning of the season and keeping his players aware of the program, all the team has to do is score baskets. “It doesn’t take much to con tribute,” he said. The money raised goes to re search, education, patient care and prevention. Forty-one per cent of the money ACS raises goes to community programs and can cer detection, prevention and treatment. Another 38 percent goes to research, program devel opment and supporting services. The remaining money is spent on fund raising and management costs, according to “Point Attack Against Cancer,” an ACS brochure. At the University, money raised by the ACS is supporting cancer research projects totaling more than $1 million. Three Uni versity researchers have earned grants from the ACS to conduct projects. The competition for these grants is fierce. In the 1997-98 ac ademic year, 2,325 scientists ap plied, and only 491 were ap proved and funded, according to ACS statistics. Kent said there is also a little bit of competition between coaches. Each year at the NCAA tourna ment coaches boast how much their team is making. This season Shaquala Williams and A.D. Smith led the Universi ty’s teams in three-point baskets with 53 and 55 respectively. Havercroft said the program has only caught on recently in the West. “It’s huge back east,” she said. She said she hopes it will gain more prominence next year be cause it is a good program that anyone can participate in. Organizers are looking ahead to next season for ways the program can gain more recognition in Ore gon. Havercroft said she wants to see more student involvement and is working on ideas for com petitions and other ways to let students know about the program. Havercroft is also looking to add corporate sponsors to help cover the administrative and pro motional costs of running the pro gram at the University. One tentative idea is to have “3” printed on cards and distrib uted to fans. Each time the Ducks score a three-point basket, the fans would hold up the signs. Printed on the back would be in formation on how to get involved with the Coaches vs. Cancer pro gram. “In one way or another, cancer touches all our lives,” women’s coach Jody Runge said in an ACS brochure. “Coaches vs. Cancer provides an exciting opportunity to support the American Cancer Society in raising much needed money.” UO President Dave Frohnmayer has a Pulse. Do you have one? Check your Pulse, the Oregon Daily Emerald's entertainment section, every Thursday. P.Q. Box 3159, Eugene OR 97403 The Oregon Daily Emerald is published daily Mon day through Friday during the school year and Tuesday and Thursday during the summer by the Oregon Daily Emerald Publishing Co. Inc., at the University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon. A member of the Associated Press, the Emerald operates inde pendently of the University with offices in Suite 300 of the Erb Memorial Union. The Emerald is private property. The unlawful removal or use of papers is prosecutable by law. NEWSROOM — (541)346-5511 Editor in chief: Laura Cadiz Managing Editor: Jack Clifford Community: Sara Lieberth, editor. Darren Freeman, Brian Goodell, reporters. Freelance: Eric Pfeiffer, editor. Higher Education: Ben Romano, editor. Adam Jude, Serena Mark strom, reporters. Perspectives: Bret Jacobson, Laura Lucas, editors. Jonathan Gruber, Beata Mostafavi, Mason West, columnists. Pulse: Jessica Blanchard, editor. Rory Carroll, Joe Walsh, reporters. Student Activities: Jeremy Lang, editor. Emily Gust, Simone Ripke, Lisa Toth, reporters. Sports: Mirjam Swanson, editor. Scott Pesznecker, assistant editor. Matt O’Neill, Jeff Smith, reporters. News Aide: Lorraine-Michelle Faust. Copy: Monica Hande, Molly Egan, copy chiefs. Jonathan Allen, Michael Kleckner, Tom Patterson, EricQualheim, Heather Rayhorn, Jamie Thomas, copy editors. Photo: Catharine Kendall, editor. Kevin Calame, Azle Malinao-Al varez, Ryan Starkweather, photographers. Hiroshi Nakamura, Katie Nesse, Tom Patterson, Lindsey Walker, photo technicians. Design: Katie Nesse, editor. Kelly Berggren, Katie Miller, Russ Weller, designers. Bryan Dixon, Giovanni Salimena, illustrators. On-line: Jake Ortman, editor. Timur Insepov, webmaster. ADVERTISING — (S41H46-V712 Becky Merchant, director. Melissa O’Connell, Van Nguyen, advertis ing assistants. Rachelle Bowden, Doug Hentges, Nicole Hubbard, Jesse Long, Adam Rice, Amy Ruppert, Hillary Shultz, Chad Verly, Emily Wallace, Lisa Wood, advertising sales representatives. CLASSIFIEDS — (541) 346-4^43 Trina Shanaman, manager. Erin Gauthier, Lauren Howry, Tara Rothermel, staff. BUSINESS — (541)346-5512 Judy Riedl, general manager. Kathy Carbone, business supervisor. Sarah Goracke, receptionist. Il-ju Chang, John Long, Sue Ryan, Krista Ostoich, distribution. PRODUCTION — (541) 346-4381 Michele Ross, manager. Tara Sloan, coordinator. Laura Lucas, Katie Nesse, Melissa O’Connell, Laura Paz, Ross Ward, ad designers.
