BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- Retiring Moravian College Head Men's Basketball Coach Jim Walker raised $2,500 in his second 24-day free throw shooting marathon to raise awareness for cancer research through the National Basketball Coaches Association's Coaches vs. Cancer.
Coach Walker started shooting an hour a day on Monday, January 26, and 24 days later; he had connected on 20,137 free throws including 1,001 on his final afternoon at the foul line. Walker was asking for a donation of $1 for every 1,000 free throws made, making the average donation this year $20.
Walker, who will be retiring from Moravian at the end of the semester after 35 years on the sidelines with a career mark of 442-440, also did the marathon in 2014, making 16,022 free throws and over the two years, he helped raise $5,797 for Coaches vs. Cancer.
"I've always been a big donor to the American Cancer Society every year sending in a contribution but I wanted to do more myself to help raise the awareness," stated Walker. "Last year, I said I needed to do something around free throw shooting which is something I like to do and have done well since I was a player in high school.
"My interest in generating more people's awareness of battle against cancer, and become givers to the America Cancer Society," Walker continued. "I've felt for a long time that the more financial support we can generate through awareness, the better chance there is towards finding a cure for cancer. I lost my dad to cancer and my brother-in-law is really sick right now too. So those are things that prompted me to help raise awareness."
About Coaches vs. Cancer
The Coaches vs. Cancer program is a nationwide collaboration between the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) that empowers basketball coaches, their teams, and local communities to make a difference in the fight against cancer. The program leverages the personal experiences, community leadership, and professional excellence of basketball coaches nationwide to increase cancer awareness and promote healthy living through year-round awareness efforts, fundraising activities, and advocacy programs.
Because cancer has touched so many of our nation's basketball coaches, Coaches vs. Cancer offers them the unique opportunity to fight the disease. Through integrated fundraising activities and public awareness campaigns, participating coaches are truly making a difference in the fight against cancer and are raising awareness in their communities about the importance of cancer prevention, early detection, and making healthy lifestyle choices.
If you are a coach looking to get involved in your community and make a difference for a meaningful cause, Coaches vs. Cancer is for you. There are various ways you can use your voice and leadership to help fight cancer:
Participate in national and local events to raise funds and awareness to support Coaches vs. Cancer and the American Cancer Society.
Serve as a local/national spokesperson to heighten visibility of the resources, services, and support that the American Cancer Society offers to help all people facing cancer.
Advocate for responsible public policy issues related to cancer.
Increase awareness of the importance of cancer prevention, early detection, and healthy lifestyle choices.
Raise funds in the fight against cancer to help support the American Cancer Society's lifesaving efforts to eliminate the disease.
To learn more about how you can make a difference as a coach in your community and across the nation through the Coaches vs. Cancer program, please contact us at coachesvscancer@cancer.org or visit coachesvscancer.org to learn more.
