What do Kentucky Wildcats coach John Calapari, West Virginia Mountaineers coach Bob Huggins and Sinclair men’s basketball coach Jeff Price have in common?
They are all members of the National Association of Basketball Coaches that will be participating in the Coaches vs. Cancer Suits and Sneakers Awareness Weekend, scheduled for Jan. 29-31.
During that weekend’s games, “participating NABC member coaches will wear sneakers instead of their dress shoes to demonstrate their support for the American Cancer Society and its vision of a world with less cancer and more birthdays,” according to a press release on NABC.org
Price has been a member of the NABC for 20 years and said he is proud to be participating on Jan. 30 when the Tartan Pride host Lorain Community College.
“When you’re out there wearing your suit and you got your sneakers on, you know you’re part of a bigger fraternity and you know you’re doing the right thing,” said Price.
Price said there will be a tip jar at the game and that all proceeds from ticket sales will go to the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Created in 1950, the MDA is a voluntary health agency aimed at conquering neuromuscular diseases that affect more than one million Americans, according to charitynavigator.org.
“We hope to get $500,” said Price. “When we go to the MDA telethon on Labor Day we’re going to take that money with us and donate it to them.”
Price said he hopes this charitable event along with the other community service his team has done, such as serving Thanksgiving dinner at the Boys and Girls Club of Dayton, will expose his student athletes to the things he thinks they should be doing, which is to be good stewards in the community and positive influences across the Miami Valley.
“(Sinclair) is a true academic institution,” said Price. “More so than winning ball games, we’re trying to develop good citizens.”