IBCA E-Newsletter

January is ‘Coaches vs. Cancer’ month

January once again has been designated as “Coaches vs. Cancer” month by the IBCA for high school basketball in Indiana in the 2023-24 season. This is the 17th season that the IBCA has supported such an initiative.

In the first 16 years of this initiative, boys’ and girls’ coaches across Indiana have raised more than $1.4 million – including more than $124,300 last season – in the fight against cancer.

We want to send a special thank you to all coaches, teams, schools and dedicated community members who plan to participate in the 17th annual IBCA initiative against cancer during the 2023-24 season. The dollars raised through this initiative are saving lives all across Indiana!

According to American Cancer Society national figures, 79 percent of funds collected from “Coaches vs. Cancer” contests go toward research, patient support, education and advocacy; 18 percent of funds go toward additional fund-raising efforts; and 3 percent of funds go toward administrative costs.

This year, we are asking all coaches to get involved in this initiative by taking these simple steps:

1. Pick a date in January for a “Coaches vs. Cancer” game to benefit the American Cancer Society. (Note: If you use the term “Coaches vs. Cancer,” which is trademarked, the net proceeds must go to the American Cancer Society; if your event benefits another organization, you need to use another term to label it.) If January doesn’t work, feel free to select a date that works for you and host a “Coaches vs. Cancer” game sometime during your season.
2. Select a CVC champion to help host the game. We know you and your players are busy during the season, which is why nominating a student, teacher, parent or community member close to the program is a great way to create the best CVC experience without overburdening you and your team.
3. Connect with your local American Cancer Society staff. Once you have selected a date and CVC Champion, connect with your local American Cancer Society staff. They are here to help support your efforts in any way possible. If you are unsure who your local contact is, feel free to reach out to Michael Smith. Michael can be reached at michael.smith@cancer.org. As you work to identify your “Coaches vs. Cancer” game, please alert Michael so he may assist with logistics and connect you with the best local American Cancer Society representative to help you with fund-raising ideas and details for your game.

Once you have determined the date for your Cancer-benefit game, please e-mail this info to Gene Milner (gmilner@tds.net) so we can list the game dates on our IBCA calendar of games to benefit cancer charities.

Remember: If you use the phrase “Coaches vs. Cancer” for your event, the proceeds must go to the American Cancer Society as that organization has trademarked the “Coaches vs. Cancer” term. If your event is benefiting another cancer program, please give it another name and still report the event and the amount raised to the IBCA. The IBCA wants to track all the events hosted by member coaches that fight against cancer.

The American Cancer Society will present banners to programs that meet certain levels of donations in official “Coaches vs. Cancer” events. Categories are Champion ($10,000 or more), MVP ($5,000 to $9,999) and All Star ($2,500 to $4,999). To be eligible, all funds raised during the school year must be turned into the local American Cancer Society office no later than June 1, 2024. For accounting purposes, it helps tremendously if funds can be reported and turned in by March 8, 2024.

After your cancer-benefit game, regardless of what charity benefits, we ask you to do the following:

1. E-mail Gene Milner to let him know how much money was collected and to what charity the funds were donated. Please make sure to make sure Gene knows whether this is a Boys’ program, a Girls’ program or a combined Boys-Girls effort from your school.
2. Call Bob Lovell of Indiana SportsTalk and let him know how much you collected.
3. If an official “Coaches vs. Cancer” game, send a check for the amount collected (payable to the "American Cancer Society" and include “Coaches vs. Cancer/School Name (boys and/or girls)” in the memo line to: American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 68145, Indianapolis, IN 46268. If your beneficiary is another group or organization, get your funds to that group or organization.

The “Coaches vs. Cancer” program is an amazing way to encourage team unity, build school spirit, support those in your community who have been touched by cancer and fight back against a disease that has taken so much. Please make plans now to include a "Coaches vs. Cancer" game on your schedule for the 2022-23 season. Our goal is 100 percent participation of all high schools in Indiana.

Please contact Michael Smith at the ACS today. | michael.smith@cancer.org | 812-781-0435

Volunteers work a donation table at a "Coaches vs. Cancer" Game held in 2017 at Columbus North High School between Columbus North and Greenwood. The cards posted behind the volunteers recognized cancer victims and cancer survivors.