University of Connecticut Athletics
Jim Calhoun Announces Cancer Challenge Ride
2/8/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Storrs, Conn (February 8, 2007)-- University of Connecticut Head Men's Basketball Coach Jim Calhoun today announced a new statewide event he is organizing called the Big Y Jim Calhoun Cancer Challenge Ride to benefit The Carole and Ray Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Connecticut Health Center and Coaches vs. Cancer, a program established in 1993 by the American Cancer Society.
Coach Calhoun was joined for the announcement by Dr. Peter Deckers, dean of the UConn School of Medicine and executive vice president for health affairs at the Health Center, and John Weber, State Vice President for Development of the American Cancer Society. Coach Calhoun is a cancer survivor and will participate in the ride. The event will include bike rides of varying lengths and will take place on June 9, 2007, with the start and finish in Simsbury, Connecticut.
“Today, I stand as a cancer survivor determined to join the fight to help others attain even better opportunities than I had to be proactive in the fight against cancer,” said Coach Calhoun. “From my own personal experience, I can attest to the priceless value of research findings on lifestyle, diet, proactive screenings and early detection. I received exceptional care as a patient at the UConn Health Center, and it is for this reason that I have created the Big Y Jim Calhoun Cancer Challenge Ride to benefit The Carole and Ray Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center, as well as a wonderful program called Coaches vs. Cancer.
“We are proud to be associated with a remarkable event of this caliber,” noted Dr. Deckers. “Coach Calhoun is once again demonstrating his commitment to the Health Center, as he has so often in the past. Among other things, he has been instrumental in the advancement of the Pat and Jim Calhoun Cardiology Center. This is just one more example of his selfless support for the things we do here.”
"Jim Calhoun has always been a Hall of Fame coach for Coaches vs. Cancer. He has participated in numerous fundraising and awareness events for us and has never said no to a request to support our efforts to eradicate cancer”, said Jim Satalin, Director of Coaches vs. Cancer. “He is, and always will be a winner both on and off the court. We are thrilled to have Jim on our team!"
Coach Calhoun also announced major sponsorship support for the ride from Big Y World Class Markets, the Hartford law firm of RisCassi and Davis, Mohegan Sun and Comcast.
There will be rides of 10, 25 and 50 miles, with riders participating from across the state. To register for the ride as a single rider or as a team, interested parties should visit the Big Y Jim Calhoun Cancer Challenge Ride website at . There is a $30 fee to register and a minimum fundraising requirement of $200 per rider. Individuals that raise $2,500 or more will receive a special Calhoun riding shirt from Coach. Twenty-five thousand dollars of the funds raised will go to support the work of Coaches vs. Cancer with the balance of proceeds directed to the UConn Foundation, Inc. for the benefit of The Carole and Ray Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center at the UConn Health Center.
To find out more about the event, please visit , or call Gold, Orluk & Partners at 860-674-1500.
The University of Connecticut Health Center includes the schools of medicine and dental medicine, John Dempsey Hospital, the UConn Medical Group and University Dentists. Founded in 1961, the Health Center pursues a mission of providing outstanding health care education in an environment of exemplary patient care, research and public service. To learn more about the UConn Health Center, visit our website at . The University of Connecticut Foundation, Inc. is a nonprofit corporation established in 1964 whose mission is to solicit, receive, and administer gifts and financial resources from private sources for the benefit of all campuses and programs of the University of Connecticut. The Foundation is formally recognized by the University as the organization with primary responsibility for fundraising, endowment investing and administration, and other asset management activity – all for the benefit of the University.
