​Basketball coaches #SuitUp to support fight against cancer, early detection.

Suits And Sneakers Week, the signature initiative of the American Cancer Society and National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Coaches vs. Cancer program, officially ran Jan. 23 and runs through Jan. 29. That week, coaches wore suits on the sidelines and laced up sneakers as a visible reminder of their support of ACS. 

Funds raised during Suits And Sneakers Week will support ACS' screening initiatives that encourages people to schedule regular cancer screening tests. During the worst periods of the COVID-19 pandemic, screening for cancer decreased by as much as 90 percent and remains down by as much as 25 percent from historical averages. To help address this issue, basketball programs participating in Suits And Sneakers Week, along with a new TV spot, watch below, airing during some key games on the Big Ten Network this week, will encourage people to visit coaches.cancer.org to find cancer screening locations near them, based on zip code.

CEO Dr. Karen Knudsen kicked off Suits And Sneakers Week along with Fran Dunphy, men’s head basketball coach for LaSalle University, pictured above. Help amplify this unique initiative by sharing the post on Facebook and Twitter, and be sure to engage with Suits And Sneakers content throughout the week by following #CoachesvsCancer, #SuitsAndSneakers, and #SuitUp.

Coaches vs. Cancer is a nationwide collaboration between the ACS and NABC. The program, started by longtime Missouri men’s basketball coach Norm Stewart, empowers basketball and other athletic coaches to save lives from cancer by leveraging their community leadership to raise awareness and funds for ACS. Since the program’s inception in 1993, coaches have raised more than $145 million for ACS.