For the sixth consecutive year, the Penn State women’s basketball program’s Play4Kay benefitting Pink Zone event will donate more than $200,000 to organizations for breast cancer education and research.
The fundraising total for 2017 was $255,000, the third-highest total in the 11-year history of the event.
Funds will support six beneficiaries — Geisinger-Lewistown Hospital, JC Blair Memorial Hospital, Kay Yow Cancer Fund, Mount Nittany Medical Center, Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition and Penn State Cancer Institute at the Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.
This year’s Play4Kay game was held on Feb. 26 and saw Penn State defeat Michigan, 76-75. A crowd of 8,213 welcomed 504 survivors who were honored on the court and throughout the game.
Through the program’s history, it has now donated $1.85 million to local, regional and national breast cancer charities.
“The continued growth and support that our community shows for our Play4Kay game benefitting Pink Zone event is outstanding,” Lady Lions head coach Coquese Washington said in a statement. “This event is incredibly meaningful to our entire program – players, coaches, staff and administrators – and brings national recognition to our campus for the efforts in the fight to cure breast cancer. Our most heartfelt thanks go out to all of the sponsors, fans and, of course, breast cancer survivors that make this event such a special part of our program each year.”
