The Penn State Altoona men’s and women’s basketball teams spearheaded an effort to raise awareness and money for the fight against cancer at a pair of doubleheaders this past Saturday and Sunday in the Adler Athletic Complex.

“This was an exciting weekend for numerous reasons,” said Penn State Altoona men’s basketball head coach David McGreal. “It was a great weekend of competition with two Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference games back-to-back on Saturday and Sunday, but more importantly, this was a weekend where our teams came together to raise awareness and money for two great causes.” 

In the teams’ doubleheader against Penn State Behrend on Saturday, January 14, the focus was on pediatric cancer, as the Lions and Lady Lions supported Go4TheGoal.org’s “Lace Up Against Pediatric Cancer” drive. Both teams wore gold shoelaces to promote awareness of pediatric cancer, and a fundraiser was held to benefit Jaxen's Journey Foundation, which was set up by the Kettler family following the death of their two-year-old son, Jaxen, to cancer last summer.

On Sunday, January 15, when the men’s and women’s basketball teams hosted D’Youville College, the Penn State Altoona hoops programs continued their annual partnership with the Griffith Family Foundation and its “Sideline Cancer” initiative. The Griffith Family Foundation, based in Hollidaysburg, Pa., is aimed at the fight against pancreatic cancer. The foundation collected money and sold special Sideline Cancer t-shirts to help raise funds and awareness to combat this devastating type of cancer. 

“On Saturday, we focused on the heartbreaking issue of pediatric cancer, as we laced up with gold shoelaces in the women’s and men’s games to promote awareness for kids with cancer. We collected donations throughout the game, and all proceeds will go to the Jaxen's Journey Foundation, named for a two-year-old boy who lost his fight with cancer this past summer,” said McGreal. “On Sunday, we teamed up with Cathy Griffith of the Griffith Family Foundation and their Sideline Cancer initiative to promote and raise money for those families who have been affected by pancreatic cancer. We were proud to see the community and campus come out to support these great causes, and to watch the Lions and Lady Lions play some basketball games.”