BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Head men's basketball coach Jim Walker never cared how many zeroes were on the check donated to support his 24-day free throw shooting marathon to raise awareness for cancer research through Coaches vs. Cancer earlier this year.

He cared about how many people would take notice. He wanted to inspire others young and old, through basketball, to make a difference in the battle against a terrible disease. However, the veteran headman is pleased to announce the grand total from all donations is $3,297.

The marathon lasted from Monday, Jan. 20 to Wednesday, Feb. 12, during which he shot free throws for one hour a day. Walker made 16,022 freebies in that span, and was asking for a donation of $1 for every 1,000 made. If donators followed those instructions, a single donation would be $16.

"Support and donations came pouring in," Walker said. "People were very generous. Many gave far more than what I requested. I've said it before; the dollar amount was not what we were after. The battle against cancer does require money, which I was happy to have been part of. The best part of seeing the donations come in, for me, was how many different people reached out to participate."

Walker, who completed his 34th season as head coach of the Greyhounds in 2013-14, did some underestimating of his own at the charity stripe. At the onset of the idea, he guessed he would make between 10,000 and 15,000 free throws during the marathon. Walker ended up hitting his shots at an 80-percent clip and passed the 16,000 milestone on the 24th and final session.

"Looking back, I'm very pleased with how many I made," Walker said. "I developed new strategies along the way and if I would have had that at the beginning, I could be looking at 17 or 18,000. Those few extra dollars could go a long way. That's the beautiful thing about this; you can donate a dollar or one-million dollars and still make a difference. It all adds up to the same thing: a global community fighting cancer."

Click here to view Walker's daily free throw shooting chart.

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.