By the end of the day, doctors will have diagnosed more than 500 Americans with breast cancer in just the past 24 hours. When the Lady Cats of Georgia Northwestern finally take the floor for the opener of two Breast Cancer Awareness games with Central Georgia Tech on Tuesday at 6 p.m., players and fans of Cats Country, as well as those fighting the breast cancer fight, will be honoring survivors and those who have lost their battle.
“We wanted to do our part in a community that shows us so much support,” said Georgia Northwestern Lady Cats Head Basketball Coach Jim Williams. “There are so many brave women and men fighting this disease. We thought we’d do what we could.”
The event will take place at Pepperell High School in Lindale, Ga. Women tip things off at 6 p.m., and the men will begin at 8 p.m.
In partnership with Floyd Medical Center in Rome, Georgia, both the Lady Cats and Bobcats basketball programs of Georgia Northwestern are hosting the pink-themed evening. The Lady Cats will be decked out in head-to-toe pink for the battle with Central Georgia. The Bobcats will have pink armbands and shoelaces in honor of the event.
“All survivors fighting breast cancer are invited to come to this game and be recognized,” said Bobcats Head Basketball Coach, David Stephenson. “There will be a special pink-and-white ball that the teams will be autographing and then auctioning off.”
Part of the proceeds from the auction and gate admissions will be donated to The Breast Center at Floyd Medical Center.
“FMC’s primary care providers offer a comprehensive screening process that complements the standard mammogram with a clinical breast exam, breast self-exam education and a lifetime risk assessment,” states The Breast Center’s webpage. “Because we recognize that waiting for test results can be difficult, we have developed a process to provide patients with imaging results within 24 hours.”
This is the first set of Breast Cancer Awareness games Georgia Northwestern has held. “We want them to become an annual event,” said Williams. The Lady Cats are in their first year of collegiate competition. Their male counterparts, the Bobcats, are in their fourth year of collegiate competition. Both programs participate in the National Junior College Athletic Association.
General admission tickets for Tuesday night’s games are $3 at the gate. For more information on the Bobcat and Lady Cats athletic programs at Georgia Northwestern Technical College, contact GNTC’s Office of Sports Information at 706.764-3813 or e-mail to dfoley@gntc.edu