American Cancer Society Hosts Tip-off breakfast- Sat Dec 22-Guest Speakers are Coaches Frank Haith and John Groce

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:

Fran Miley, American Cancer Society

314-286-8148

Fran.Miley@cancer.org

Greg Ransom, Coaches vs. Cancer Volunteer Executive Director

314-803-7473

Mike Colombo, Coaches vs. Cancer Publicity Volunteer

314-374-5457

ST. LOUIS, MO – December 14, 2012 – St. Louis is a town rich with sports history.  This year the Coaches vs. Cancer Tip Off Breakfast, is capitalizing on that.  On the morning of the Missouri / Illinois Bragging Rights game, the annual breakfast event will take basketball fans on trip down memory lane and give a peek into current seasons for the two teams.  Special guest speakers include current Division I college coaches, Frank Haith of Missouri and John Groce of Illinois, as well as past players of the contest.

            Local basketball star, Steve “Stipo” Stipanovich, former center for the University of Missouri will join Jerry Hester, former University of Illinois forward, as they share insight on their college years and what it meant to be a part of the annual rivalry game.  Stipanovich was a first round 1983 NBA draft pick, and while at Mizzou he was on the team that won over 100 games in four years.  Hester was a key part of U of I’s 1998 Big Ten Championship team, and he played professionally in Poland, England, and Italy.  The panel discussion will be emceed by local KMOX Sports Director, Tom Ackerman who will share hosting duties with KMOV’s Investigative Reporter, Mike Colombo. 

            The Associated Press currently has Illinois ranked 10^th with a record of 12-0, and with their record of 8-1 Mizzou is ranked 12^th. Couple that with the history of the Bragging Rights game - Illinois’ win count of 20 to Missouri’s 11 - it might seem to be good odds for the Illini. However Mizzou has the momentum.  They’ve won the last three Bragging Rights contests.

While the rivalry between Mizzou and U of I is as strong as ever, the coaches and past players are teaming up along with presenting sponsor Express Scripts, to support a good cause – the American Cancer Society Coaches vs. Cancer.   All proceeds from the breakfast support the American Cancer Society’s mission of saving lives and creating a world with more birthdays by helping people stay well, helping people get well, by finding cures and fighting back.

Schedule of the morning includes:

7 am Breakfast

7:30 am – 8:00 am Coach Autograph Session

8:00 am – 9:00 am Program with Panelists

Individual tickets are available for $30 each and $1,000 table sponsorships. Sponsorship includes a table of 4 and additional benefits for the Coaches vs. Cancer Shootout which takes on January 31^st.  More details and ticket information is available at www.coachesvscancerstlouis.org  or by contacting the local American Cancer Society office at 314.286.8148.

The Coaches vs. Cancer initiative is collaboration between the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches.  It provides education and prevention information to basketball fans nationwide, inviting fans to join with their local coach in support of the program.          

The American Cancer Society combines an unyielding passion with nearly a century of experience to save lives and end suffering from cancer by helping people stay well, by helping people get well, by finding cures, and by fighting back.  For more information about the Coaches vs. Cancer initiative, or if you or someone you know is facing cancer, contact the American Cancer Society 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 1-800-227-2345 or cancer.org.

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