On Saturday, Feb. 2, the Howard University women's basketball team will put on their pink uniforms and tie up their pink laces for the annual Play4Kay basketball game in honor of former North Carolina State University head women's basketball coach Kay Yow.
 
Coach Yow was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1987. She passed away in 2009, after a 22-year, on-again, off-again battle with the disease. Coach Yow fought that battle in the public arena. Her hope was to inspire others to make a difference in a fight that impacts each and every one of us.

The "pink phenomenon" in women's basketball began during the 2004-2005 basketball season, when Coach Yow's cancer recurred after being in remission for 17 years. Play4Kay is the grassroots fundraising initiative of the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. It was originally called Think Pink, later Pink Zone, and most recently and finally, Play4Kay. Women's basketball teams wore pink in honor of Coach Yow and those battling cancer. In 2007, this movement resulted in the establishment of the Kay Yow Cancer Fund and its Play4Kay initiative.

In support of the KayYow Cancer Fund, the Bison women's basketball team will raffle off team-specific apparel and travel gear throughout the contests.

Tickets for Saturday's doubleheader against Norfolk State can be purchased through the athletic ticket office: www.BisonTickets.com.

About Howard University Athletics
The Howard University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics sponsors 19 NCAA Division I men and women varsity sports. The programs represent six conferences: the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), Coastal Collegiate Swimming Association (CCSA), Sun Belt Conference, Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) and Atlantic Sun (ASUN) Conference. Visit www.hubison.com to learn more.