CIS women’s basketball fights breast cancer: WBCA’s Shoot for the Cure back for fifth year

OTTAWA (CIS) – The CIS Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) proudly announced Friday its fundraising initiative to raise money for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation - and other related cancer charities - is up and running for a fifth straight season.
The Shoot for the Cure campaign has proven an overwhelming success in its first four years with close to $400,000 in donations.

At the 2011 CIS championship last March in Windsor, the WBCA presented a cheque for $104,763 to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, surpassing the $94,650 collected in 2009-10 and the amounts from the 2008-09 ($81,512) and 2007-08 ($50,320) seasons.

In addition to these impressive totals, $59,896 was amassed over the past three years by schools that elected to donate their fundraised money to local cancer organizations.
Once again this year, CIS women’s basketball programs will raise money through regular season games, non-conference matches, tournaments and special events.
The University of Manitoba Bisons and Bishop’s University Gaiters kick off the 2011-12 activities this weekend.

In Winnipeg, the Bisons host Lakehead, Trinity Western and cross-town rival Winnipeg from Friday to Sunday for the Shoot for the Cure invitational. Meanwhile in Sherbrooke, Que., the Gaiters welcome Toronto, Queen’s, as well as the Montreal Dynamo for the Reebok Shoot for the Cure tournament.

“Our objective for this year is to reach half a million dollars raised for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation in the first five years of the initiative, which is really exciting,” stated UNB head coach and Shoot for the Cure project manager, Jeff Speedy. “Another goal is to get all 43 CIS women’s basketball teams to participate, and we are confident we will reach that target this season.”

The 2011-12 Shoot for the Cure schedule is currently comprised of 39 events hosted by 36 schools, with more dates to be announced over the next few weeks.

The fundraising initiative was the brainchild of Rod Gilpin, the long-time bench boss of the Bishop’s women’s program now in his fourth season as head coach of the Gaiters’ men’s team.

2011-12 WBCA SHOOT FOR THE CURE EVENTS:

Date - Host - Event
Oct. 14-16 Manitoba  Bisons Shoot for the Cure Invitational
Oct. 14-16 Bishop’s  Reebok Shoot for the Cure Tournament
Nov. 4th  Thompson Rivers Regular season vs. Fraser Valley
Nov. 5  Regina   Regular season vs. Saskatchewan
Nov. 12  Trinity Western  Regular season vs. Manitoba 
Nov. 12  UBC   Regular season vs. Regina
Nov. 18  Carleton  Regular season vs. Western Ontario
Nov. 18  Waterloo  Regular season vs. RMC
Nov. 19  Waterloo  Regular season vs. Queen’s 
Nov. 25  Wilfrid Laurier  Regular season vs. Laurentian
Nov. 25  Alberta   Regular season vs. Trinity Western
Nov. 26  Alberta   Regular season vs. Fraser Valley
Nov. 26  StFX   Regular season vs. Dalhousie
Nov. 26  Saskatchewan  Regular season vs. Trinity Western
Dec. 2  Western  Regular Season vs Queens
Dec. 2  McMaster  Regular season vs. Toronto
Dec. 29-31 Concordia  Reebok Invitational Tournament
Jan. 13  Winnipeg   Regular season vs. Brandon (BUZZ OFF Cancer)
Jan. 14  Queen’s  Regular season vs. York
Jan. 14  Brock   Regular season vs. Western Ontario
Jan. 14  Dalhousie  Regular season vs. Saint Mary’s  
Jan. 21  Lakehead  Regular season vs. McMaster
Jan. 21  York   Regular season vs. Toronto
Jan. 21  Lethbridge  Regular season vs. Calgary
Jan. 21  Laurentian  Regular season vs. Ryerson
Jan. 21  Memorial  Regular Season cs Acadia
Jan. 22  Memorial  Regular Season cs Acadia
Jan. 25  Saint Mary’s  Regular season vs. Dalhousie
Jan. 27  Acadia   Regular season vs. Dalhousie
Jan. 27  Ottawa   Regular season vs. Laurentian
Jan. 28  Guelph   Regular season vs. Brock 
Jan. 28  Windsor  Regular season vs. Lakehead
Jan. 28  Laval   Regular season vs. UQAM
Jan. 28  McGill   Regular season vs. Concordia
Jan. 28  Calgary   Regular season vs. Alberta
Feb. 3  Fraser Valley  Regular season vs. UBC
Feb. 3  UNB   Regular season vs. StFX
Feb. 3  RMC   Regular season vs. Queen’s
Feb. 3  UNB-O   Regular Season vs Victoria
Feb. 3  Brandon  Regular Season vs Lethbridge
Feb. 4  UNB   Regular season vs. StFX
Feb. 4   UPEI   Regular season vs. Dalhousie
Feb. 4  UQAM   Regular season vs. Concordia
Feb. 4th   Brandon  Regular Season vs Lethbridge
Feb. 10  Toronto   Regular season vs. Laurentian
Feb. 10  Ryerson  Regular season vs. York
Feb. 11th Cape Breton  Regular Season vs UPEI
Feb. 17  Victoria  Regular season vs. UBC

-CIS-