FOREST, Va. --- Prior to the 2019-20 Division III basketball seasons, the Old Dominion Athletic Conference announced a continued partnership with the V Foundation for Cancer Research and the Kay Yow Cancer Fund for supporting cancer research.

For the third consecutive year, the ODAC men’s and women’s basketball programs spearheaded initiatives on their respective campuses in conjunction with select home games. Through those events, conference schools generated $8,900 of charitable donations to support both organizations, as well as a few other subsidiaries and causes.  In the first three years of the partnership, more than $22,000 has been raised.

"Our basketball programs continue to embrace the mission of the V Foundation and the Kay Yow Cancer Fund" said ODAC commissioner Brad Bankston. "I commend our coaches and student-athletes for their efforts in contributing to the fight against cancer.  Their investment in the mission of these organizations speaks to their willingness to contribute to the greater good and bring awareness to causes that they care deeply about.”

RELATED:  About the V Foundation | About the Kay Yow Cancer Fund

For the second year in a row, several women’s basketball teams participated in the Play4Kay Free Throw Challenge.  During the month of February, teams secured pledges and gifts, earning donations for every free throw made during games.  The ODAC secured the top Division III fundraising program for the second year in a row, with Washington and Lee at the top of the ranks in 2019-20 after the University of Lynchburg led the charge in 2018-19.  Four of the top six Division III fundraisers were ODAC teams.

“Play4Kay gives us the opportunity as a conference to unite together to do something that’s bigger than basketball and to help raise money for cancer research” said Christine Clancy, women’s basketball head coach at Washington and Lee University.  “I am proud of how the student-athletes, coaches, and fans across the ODAC celebrated and participated in the Play4Kay initiative and I am grateful to all of the people who donated to our Play4Kay Free Throw Challenge.”

The V Foundation, most visibly thru its annual "Jimmy V Week" with key collaborator ESPN, has raised over $250 million in cancer research grants nationwide since its formation in 1993. The V Foundation’s current campaign, $200M BY 2020, was launched in 2013. The Kay Yow Cancer Fund was founded in 2007, in memory of Coach Kay Yow, in order to unite communities, honor survivors, and raise money by playing the game she loved.

"The V Foundation's mission to cure cancer and the amount of money the foundation has been able to raise over the years for this cause is simply amazing,” explained Caleb Kimbrough, men’s basketball head coach at Hampden-Sydney College, which raised over $2,000 for the V Foundation.  “Getting behind a cause like this is something that is very easy for me, my staff, and the Hampden-Sydney community to be passionate about. It seems as though all of us at some point or another are affected by this terrible disease, whether directly or indirectly, so we are proud to be a part of a College and Conference that is willing to invest time and effort into raising money to help find a cure."

These two excellent foundations provide a diverse community of students the opportunity to experience inspirational messages from two legendary college basketball coaches: Jim Valvano's words of determination — "Don't Give Up . . . Don't Ever Give Up"®— and Kay Yow's influence on positive-thinking — "When life kicks you, let it kick you forward."