The Vanderbilt Commodores Women’s Basketball team will be decked out in pink uniforms when they take the home court this Sunday, Feb. 10, at 3 p.m., in a matchup against the Kentucky Wildcats.
The annual Pink Out! game in Memorial Gymnasium is designed to raise awareness about breast cancer and to recognize individuals who are current patients or survivors of the disease.
Fans are also invited to wear pink, the color that has become associated with breast cancer research and survivorship.
Every year, the Pink Out! games draw enthusiastic fans who are dedicated to supporting breast cancer patients and their families.
The special events are part of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) “Play4Kay” breast cancer awareness program, named in honor of former North Carolina State University women’s head basketball coach Kay Yow. A past president and founding member of WBCA, Yow was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1987. She died in 2009 after her third bout with the disease.
The “Play4Kay” initiative lives on in her memory as women’s basketball teams across the country hold special events to encourage support for breast cancer research.
The National Cancer Institute estimates that 234,580 women and men will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year and more than 40,000 people will die from the disease. It is the leading cause of cancer among women in the United States.
Tickets for the Vanderbilt-Kentucky game are $11 for adults and $9 for youth age 17 or younger.
The first 1,000 fans through the door of the gymnasium will receive a free pink T-shirt. Supplies are limited.
Fans who want to get their pink attire in advance may visit the Vanderbilt University Medical Center Auxiliary Gift Shop, which has a limited supply of Vanderbilt long-sleeve T-shirts on sale at 25 percent off through Sunday. For more details, contact the Gift Shop at 322-3422.
Tickets for the Pink Out! game can be ordered online at www.vucommodores.com or by calling 322-GOLD (4653). Tickets are also available on game day at the Memorial Gymnasium box office.