When USI women’s basketball team dons its pink jerseys for the homecoming game Feb. 11, it’s not a fashion statement. It’s a way to show support for the ‘Play 4Kay’ campaign and its fight against breast cancer.

Named after the former North Carolina State women’s basketball head coach Kay Yow, ‘Play 4Kay’ is a nationwide event where basketball teams across the nation participate to raise awareness for its communities and campuses.

Yow had fought breast cancer since 1987 and after being diagnosed for a third time, lost her fight with it Jan. 24, 2009.

“This event really touches home to a lot of people in our community and in our sport as a profession,” said Randa Dallas, women’s basketball assistant coach. “(Play 4Kay) drives us a lot as a team, our players are personally involved in this cause. We want to do all that we can to find a cure. It drives us to be better.”

Founded in 2007, then known as the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Pink Zone, any money raised by teams through Feb. 10-20 will be donated to the Kay Yow Cancer Fund to help fund scientific research to eradicate women’s cancer.

“We saw the opportunity to become involved with ‘Play 4Kay’ online,” Dallas said. “We are members of the WBCA and it came across online and said if your school wants to participate and become involved. And once we saw that, we jumped at the opportunity.”

For players and staff involved with the women’s basketball team cancer is something they’re very familar with.

“I just lost my sister six months ago to breast cancer, and we have several players on our team that have lost grandmothers,” Dallas said. “It makes this year a little more sensitive for me. It’s so close to home in that way where it drives you a little bit more. It’s driving me to raise more money and to get the word out.”

Freshmen forward Brooke Valentine’s grandmother passed away to breast cancer.

“So I will be playing in honor of her,” she said. “It’s just been something I’ve always tried to support on my own, and I’m glad coming to USI we can support it together as a team.”

In the past, more than 1,800 participants nationwide were involved with the ‘Play 4Kay’ campaign and has raised nearly $3.3 million since its inception.

“The thing is breast cancer is something that hits so close to home with everybody,” said Rick Stein, women’s basketball head coach. “You’d be hard pressed to any players on our team or any fans in the stands that haven’t been affected by breast cancer in some way. To be able to use sport to give back, which it’s just a basketball game, to not only the USI community, but our community is an amazing thing to be a part of.”

Since 2007, the Kay Yow Fund has raised $1.3 million for scientific research regarding women’s cancer.

“It is a big important thing for us,” sophomore guard Stephanie Carpenter said. “We want to raise as much money as we can and get as much attention to it. Plus, it’s always fun to have the pink jerseys and pink shoe laces.”

Tip-off for the homecoming game is 1 p.m. Saturday against Lewis University in the Physical Activities Center. Tonight’s game against University of Wisconsin-Parkside. Tip-off is 5:15 p.m.

“We want to raise awareness and to support all the survivors that are out there, and to support all those who are living with the disease because it’s hard,” Dallas said. “Families need support, they need our support and that is what the campaign is all about. That’s what Kay Yow wanted to do, to help those who really need more support as far as money, medication, scarfs, wigs, and that is what the campaign is all about.”