To raise money for women's cancer research, the Benedictine University women's basketball team will participate in the Kay Yow Cancer Fund's “Play4Kay” initiative on February 13.

The “Play4Kay” initiative is done by college basketball teams around the country to raise money for cancer research in a variety of different ways: on the court, through the community, on campus, and more. Since 2007, “Play4Kay” has raised over $2 million dollars.

As a team, women's basketball is in the process of raising money for the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, and their goal is to reach $1,500. To raise money for the cause, the team will have a limited amount of Benedictine “Play4Kay” t-shirts on sale at the February 13 game.

The initiative is done in memory of legendary women's college basketball coach Kay Yow, who passed away in 2009 of breast cancer, 22 years after her initial diagnosis. Yow was someone that had a profound impact on BenU women's basketball coach Kristen Gillespie, as Gillespie played under Kay Yow at North Carolina State for four seasons.

“The Play4Kay game is something that I hold very near to my heart. I was so fortunate to have been able to play for and coach with Coach Yow,” said Gillespie. “She was a phenomenal woman and one of the most successful college coaches ever. I hope in some little way that Coach Yow's legacy can be passed on to our players and they can pass it on as well. I know in the big picture, it's so much more than Coach Yow.  Breast cancer is going to touch every single person's life in some way or another.”

Also, the players themselves are very happy to be a part of the initiative.

“Anytime I get the chance to play the game I love for a greater cause, it always makes it that much more special because you are playing for something that will help many grateful people,” said Michelle Gaede.

For the game, the team will wear special shooting shirts and pink shoe laces. The February 13th game will take place at 7:00 p.m. at the Dan and Ada Rice Center against Concordia-Chicago. Anyone interested in helping the BenU women's basketball team reach their $1,500.00 goal, you can go to http://www.play4kay.org/benueagles for more information.