EASTON, Mass. (January 28, 2012) - The Stonehill College basketball coaching staff will help cancer awareness this weekend when it participates in the 2012 Coaches vs. Cancer Suits and Sneakers Weekend during today's basketball doubleheader with Pace University. The women's game will tip off at 1:30 p.m., followed by the men's game at 3:30 p.m.

Coming up this Friday through Sunday (Jan. 27-29) is the annual Coaches vs. Cancer® Suits and Sneakers awareness weekend, a collaborative initiative of the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC). Participating NABC member coaches will wear sneakers instead of dress shoes with their suits during weekend games to demonstrate their support for the American Cancer Society and its vision of a world with less cancer and more birthdays. 

Fans may support this cause by texting COACH to 20222 from any wireless phone to make a $5.00 donation toward Coaches vs. Cancer and help in the search for a cure. For more information, visit the Coaches vs. Cancer Facebook page, facebook.com/coachesvscancer.

By lacing up sneakers with their suits, college and high school basketball coaches nationwide will spotlight the fact that while cancer remains a major health concern, everyone can take daily steps to reduce their risk of the disease. For those who do not smoke, weight control, exercise and a healthy diet are the best ways to improve health and reduce cancer risk. Obesity has been shown to increase the risk for many forms of cancer, including breast, prostate, and colon cancers and may account for 20 percent of cancer deaths in women and 14 percent in men. 

Thanks to the dedicated efforts of college and high school coaches and fans across the country, Coaches vs. Cancer participants have raised more than $70 million since 1993 to help the Society fund groundbreaking cancer research, provide up-to-date cancer information and education, advocate for public health policies that benefit communities, and deliver services that improve the quality of life for patients and their families. Additional information is available at coachesvscancer.org.

The Stonehill men's basketball team (13-5, 10-4 NE-10) moved into a share of first place in the Northeast-10 standings heading into today's game after edging co-leaders Adelphi University, 55-54, in Garden City, N.Y., on Wednesday.