Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech, Kay Yow Present Grant to Lubbock Hope Lodge
May 07, 2019 | Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball
Men’s & women’s basketball teamed up to raise money for Kay Yow Cancer Fund
LUBBOCK, Texas – The Texas Tech Men's and Women's Basketball teams, in partnership with the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, presented a check for a $150,000 grant today at Lubbock's Hope Lodge. The grant is a part of an underserved initiative of the Kay Yow Cancer Fund and will provide housing for individuals who are actively undergoing cancer treatment.
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The grant is the result of fundraising efforts initiated by Kay Yow Cancer Fund Board Member and former Executive Director, Marsha Sharp, who rallied Texas Tech Athletics and the Lubbock community in support of the cause.
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"All of us at Texas Tech are so grateful for the opportunity to join forces with the Kay Yow Cancer Fund to make this grant possible," Marsha Sharp, Texas Tech University Associate Athletics Director (Special Projects)/Head Coach Emerita, said. "Chris Beard and Marlene Stollings were incredible in their enthusiastic commitment to this project. Our fans were so amazing in their support of this initiative as well. As always, we appreciate them so much. Â Finally, we are very proud to be able to present $150,000 to Hope Lodge Lubbock. They do life-changing work for people throughout our region. We appreciate the Kay Yow Cancer Fund for allowing us to keep these funds in our community."
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 "Thank you to Marsha Sharp for her incredible leadership and desire, not only to support the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, but to continue to find ways to give back to her own community in Lubbock and the surrounding area. She has a heart for others and continues to demonstrate that in many, many ways. We also want to thank Coach Chris Beard and Coach Marlene Stollings for their tremendous support. We are thrilled to award this grant to Lubbock's Hope Lodge—a grant which will impact many families in the greater Lubbock community," Kay Yow Cancer Fund CEO Stephanie Glance said. "When Coach Yow envisioned Play4Kay, she saw it as a uniting force in athletics which would greatly impact the fight against ALL cancers affecting women. Texas Tech Athletics has created a model for the country—showing us all what can happen when we as coaches, student-athletes, and communities unite for a common cause."
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Men's and women's basketball at joined forces to raise $100,000 for the Kay Yow Cancer Fund through their respective Play4Kay games in anticipation of a $150,000 grant going back to Lubbock's Hope Lodge.
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"We are fortunate to join forces with the Kay Yow Cancer Fund allowing for this large donation to be given to Hope Lodge," Stollings said. "Everyone has been so supportive of this initiative and for our community to reap the benefits by being rewarded with this gift is incredibly special. Coach Sharp has been a longtime advocate for the Kay Yow Cancer Fund and she deserves credit for spearheading the local movement to benefit the Hope Lodge. We hope this gift will help many families win the fight against cancer."
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"We are proud to have been able to help support such a great cause and raise money to donate to the Kay Yow Cancer Fund and the Hope Lodge," Beard said. "The Hope Lodge does incredible work here in Lubbock and we know that this donation will do a lot of great things for people in our community."
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 ABOUT THE KAY YOW CANCER FUND
The Kay Yow Cancer Fund was officially founded on December 3, 2007, from the vision of the organization's namesake, Kay Yow, former NC State University head women's basketball coach. Coach Yow was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1987 before succumbing to the disease on January 24, 2009. The Kay Yow Cancer Fund is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization committed to being a part of finding an answer in the fight against ALL women's cancers through raising money for scientific research, assisting the underserved, and unifying people for a common cause. To date, the Kay Yow Cancer Fund has awarded $7.53 million in the fight against ALL women's cancers. For more information on the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, or to donate, please visit KayYow.com
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The grant is the result of fundraising efforts initiated by Kay Yow Cancer Fund Board Member and former Executive Director, Marsha Sharp, who rallied Texas Tech Athletics and the Lubbock community in support of the cause.
Â
"All of us at Texas Tech are so grateful for the opportunity to join forces with the Kay Yow Cancer Fund to make this grant possible," Marsha Sharp, Texas Tech University Associate Athletics Director (Special Projects)/Head Coach Emerita, said. "Chris Beard and Marlene Stollings were incredible in their enthusiastic commitment to this project. Our fans were so amazing in their support of this initiative as well. As always, we appreciate them so much. Â Finally, we are very proud to be able to present $150,000 to Hope Lodge Lubbock. They do life-changing work for people throughout our region. We appreciate the Kay Yow Cancer Fund for allowing us to keep these funds in our community."
Â
 "Thank you to Marsha Sharp for her incredible leadership and desire, not only to support the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, but to continue to find ways to give back to her own community in Lubbock and the surrounding area. She has a heart for others and continues to demonstrate that in many, many ways. We also want to thank Coach Chris Beard and Coach Marlene Stollings for their tremendous support. We are thrilled to award this grant to Lubbock's Hope Lodge—a grant which will impact many families in the greater Lubbock community," Kay Yow Cancer Fund CEO Stephanie Glance said. "When Coach Yow envisioned Play4Kay, she saw it as a uniting force in athletics which would greatly impact the fight against ALL cancers affecting women. Texas Tech Athletics has created a model for the country—showing us all what can happen when we as coaches, student-athletes, and communities unite for a common cause."
Â
Men's and women's basketball at joined forces to raise $100,000 for the Kay Yow Cancer Fund through their respective Play4Kay games in anticipation of a $150,000 grant going back to Lubbock's Hope Lodge.
Â
"We are fortunate to join forces with the Kay Yow Cancer Fund allowing for this large donation to be given to Hope Lodge," Stollings said. "Everyone has been so supportive of this initiative and for our community to reap the benefits by being rewarded with this gift is incredibly special. Coach Sharp has been a longtime advocate for the Kay Yow Cancer Fund and she deserves credit for spearheading the local movement to benefit the Hope Lodge. We hope this gift will help many families win the fight against cancer."
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"We are proud to have been able to help support such a great cause and raise money to donate to the Kay Yow Cancer Fund and the Hope Lodge," Beard said. "The Hope Lodge does incredible work here in Lubbock and we know that this donation will do a lot of great things for people in our community."
Â
 ABOUT THE KAY YOW CANCER FUND
The Kay Yow Cancer Fund was officially founded on December 3, 2007, from the vision of the organization's namesake, Kay Yow, former NC State University head women's basketball coach. Coach Yow was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1987 before succumbing to the disease on January 24, 2009. The Kay Yow Cancer Fund is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization committed to being a part of finding an answer in the fight against ALL women's cancers through raising money for scientific research, assisting the underserved, and unifying people for a common cause. To date, the Kay Yow Cancer Fund has awarded $7.53 million in the fight against ALL women's cancers. For more information on the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, or to donate, please visit KayYow.com
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