BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- Moravian College Men's Basketball Coach Jim Walker completed his 24-day free throw shooting marathon to raise money for Coaches vs. Cancer on Wednesday with a total of 16,022 free throws made.
Walker started shooting free throws on Monday, Jan. 20 and has set aside an hour a day for the last 24 days to shoot free throws. Each day, he has had a different Moravian student, coach or College staff member serve as his rebounder during the hour of shooting. Walker's goal was to make between 10,000 and 15,000 free throws during the marathon, and he was asking for a donation of $1 for every 1,000 made shots.
"It was satisfying," Walker said moments after the marathon ended. "Every day I looked forward to doing it, even if I wasn't feeling well or if it was a day off. Each day I was a little more satisfied with what I was trying to do. I wanted to raise awareness for the battle against cancer and raise some money to help the fight. I lost my dad, my family members and friends to this disease. I wanted to do something myself, because I felt that I had not done enough in the past on a personal level."
Walker will be donating all of the money to the National Association of Basketball Coaches - Coaches vs. Cancer initiative. To make a donation of $16 for Walker's 16,022 made free throws, visit http://moraviansports.com/sports/mbkb/2013-14/OneforaThousand.pdf.
"The support was great," Walker said. "Everyone around campus was asking how many I made that day. My friends and family were excited to follow along online. Basketball is what I do and this was a great method to be able to use the sport to do something positive. I just hope I'm around and alive for when we find a cure."
Walker and Moravian have a history of success at the foul line. Ryan Miller '08 set the school and Landmark Conference record with a .941 FT% in 2008, and Miller graduated with a school-record .857 career mark at the line. The Greyhounds led NCAA DIII in 2001-02 with a .795 FT% and set a Middle Atlantic Conference record yet to be broken. The Hounds made a Landmark-record 41 FT in one game in 2007, leading to a tie for the conference FT% record at .774. Moravian & Juniata both set the record mark in 2007-08.
Coach Walker's daily chart from the marathon is available at http://moraviansports.com/sports/mbkb/2013-14/walkerFT.
The 34th-year head coach acknowledged he could not have reached – and surpassed – his goal without a little help from his friends. Walker extended his gratitude to the rebounders during the marathon, which ranged from basketball players, interns, head coaches and Moravian College staff members.
"They were anxious to do it," Walker said. "There were people who wanted to sign up two or three times, including my assistant coach Pete Hamilton. Each person was a little different; I had short rebounders and I had some big guys. It didn't matter to me that some days went a little better than others; it was a matter of involving other people in this cause."
