SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. -- The Slippery Rock University women's basketball team will join a group of 1,500 women's college basketball programs nationwide participating in the 2010 Women's Basketball Coaches Association “Pink Zone™” initiative.

The Rock's “Pink Zone™” event to benefit the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund will be held Saturday, February 13, as part of the basketball doubleheader vs. Edinboro University in Morrow Field House.

The opening tip of the women's game is set for 1 p.m. with the men's game to follow at approximately 3 p.m.

The “Pink Zone™” initiative, which runs Feb. 12-21, is “a global, unified effort for raising breast cancer awareness on the court, across campuses, in communities and beyond,” according to a WBCA press release.

The Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund assists with support for breast cancer research and is named in honor of the late North Carolina State University head women's basketball coach. Coach Yow passed away January 24, 2009, following a courageous battle with breast cancer.

The Rock women's team will wear pink shoelaces and pink t-shirts during their pregame warm-ups.

Various door prizes, including gift certificates from local restaurants and companies will be raffled off throughout the afternoon. Pink wristbands will also be sold, with all proceeds benefitting the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund.

Raffle tickets will be sold at the main gate and will be one for $1 or an arm's length for $5. Wristbands will be $1.

Prizes that can be won during the raffle include large pizzas from pizza hut, gift cards to Giant Eagle, six-inch subs from Subway, a gift card from Ginger Hill, flowers and balloons from the Slippery Rock Florist, tanning sessions at Stingrays and many others.

Flat donations will also be accepted throughout the event.

Fans are encouraged to wear pink to the game to support the initiative.

Coach Kay Yow
Kay Yow was a past president and founding member of and galvanizing voice for the WBCA. She was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1987 and passed away after facing her third bout with the disease. In her 38 years as a collegiate head coach, Coach Yow was one of only six Division I head women's basketball coaches to achieve 700 career victories. She was also the head coach of the 1988 U.S. Olympic Team that wo the gold medal in Seoul.

WBCA Pink Zone™ History
The WBCA began the WBCA Pink Zone™, formerly known as “Think Pink,” in 2007 as an initiative to raise breast cancer awareness in women's basketball, on campuses and in communities. In 2007, more than 120 schools unified for this effort and helped make the inaugural year a success. In 2008, over 1,200 teams and organizations participated, reaching over 830,000 fans and raising over $930,000 for breast cancer awareness and research.

About the WBCA
Founded in 1981, the WBCA promotes women's basketball by unifying coaches at all levels to develop a reputable identity for the sport and to foster and promote the development of the game as a sport for women and girls. For additional information about the WBCA, please visit www.wbca.org.