Kay Yow, part 2

As I blogged about this past weekend, NC State's women's basketball coach Kay Yow passed away from breast cancer on Saturday, and here in Carolina, it's a pretty big deal. There's a memorial ceremony being broadcast on Friday, and Hoops for Hope (which she was helping to advertise) will occur in early February, and this time, it will be a celebration of her life. I think it's important to honor everything she did (she was a coach for the USA women's basketball team in the 1988 Seoul Olympics, among many other things), but I just hate the "battle" imagery they use. Like, "she lost her battle". She didn't lose anything. She fought like hell for 20 years. She managed her cancer for 20 years and coached lots of players. She got 20 more years with her family, while being able to have a happy and productive life, and had good quality of life. She didn't lose. 

Nike.com has several products whose proceeds go to the Kay Yow/WBCA (women's basketball coaches association) Cancer Fund. On February 1, the "think pink" collection will debut, with sneakers and clothes, among other things. I am currently fiending for a pair of pink basketball sneakers and the pink t-shirt. So maybe, wouldn't it be nice, when all the Valentine's day stuff starts being shoved down our throats, that we ignore all the Hallmark Holiday paraphenalia, and buy some pink things that actually help other people? You have to wear t-shirts and sneakers anyway - why not buy things that are for a good cause? Or donate to a cancer fund or organization in your loved one's honor/memory. Or volunteer your time Valentine's day weekend at a hospital, make Valentines for kids who are in the hospital....or simply hug those you love and tell them you're happy they're alive.