Capital athletics photo by Jeff Mills
Members of the Ohio Athletic Conference and North Coast Athletic Conference are teaming up this week to raise funds and raise cancer awareness during Suits and Sneakers Week to honor Capital men’s basketball coach Damon Goodwin.
Goodwin, who is battling hairy cell leukemia, has taken a leave of absence this season to fight the illness.
The week of Jan. 25-30 marks the National Association of Basketball Coaches' Suits and Sneakers Week, which promotes cancer awareness and raises funds for research. This week-long event is part of a nationwide collaboration between the American Cancer Society and the NABC called Coaches vs. Cancer.
| Not the first time The NCAC-OAC Challenge raised leukemia awarness back in November as well. More in Around the Great Lakes. |
The funds raised by OAC and NCAC schools during that six-day span will be donated to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and the American Cancer Society, in his name.
Capital will contribute to the cause during its men's basketball game on Wednesday, Jan. 27. The Crusaders will host Wilmington at 7 p.m.
Those in attendance will have the opportunity to make a donation and in exchange fill out a Coaches vs. Cancer pledge card to help build a Wall of Hope inside The Capital Center. Pledge cards will be available at the admissions table in the lobby and donations will go to the ACS. Guests are asked to keep their cards until halftime when a recognition ceremony will occur after the players clear the court, and then a collection of cards will occur so the construction of the Wall of Hope can begin.
Capital University and Capital Athletics will also be donating 50 percent of the money collected for game admission to the LLS. During the game, Interim head coach Andy Winters and his staff will be sporting sneakers and orange ties in support of Suits and Sneakers Week.
In addition, OAC and NCAC coaches will be wearing orange ties and sneakers on Saturday, Jan. 30. Capital is playing at Mount Union that day. All of this is being done as a show of support for Goodwin, his family and the cause.
All donations are tax deductible and go to support ACS and LLS research, patient services, advocacy, education, and community services. Please visit lls.org or cancer.org to for more information and to donate online.