The South Dakota State women’s basketball team will hold its annual cancer awareness game on Thursday, February 12, when it faces North Dakota at First Bank & Trust Arena in Brookings.
For the event, players will wear pink and white Under Armour uniforms. These uniforms will be auctioned off immediately after the game, with all proceeds going to the Edith Sanford Breast Center in Sioux Falls. In previous years, this auction has raised up to $18,000 for cancer-related causes.
This year marks the second time South Dakota State is hosting an official Play4Kay game through the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. Thanks to a grant from the fund, money raised from both this year’s and next year’s jersey auctions will help purchase a new 3D mammogram unit for a hospital within the Sanford network. The older unit being replaced will be sent to Ghana, where breast cancer screening technology is currently unavailable.
Representatives from Play4Kay in Durham, North Carolina, are scheduled to attend and present a check to the Edith Sanford Breast Center during the game. They also plan to collaborate with Sanford Health to offer educational sessions at Brookings High School as part of the Play 4 Kay EmPOWERment Tour. This initiative aims to educate and empower students about cancers affecting women and provide resources that can benefit their families and communities.
Fans attending Thursday’s game are encouraged to wear pink and can pick up an “I Play 4” poster upon arrival for a chance to be featured on camera. The first 750 attendees will receive a pink Jacks keychain. Additionally, Sanford’s mobile mammogram unit will be available outside First Bank & Trust Arena from 5:30 p.m. until 7 p.m., offering tours and information about breast health services provided by Edith Sanford Breast Center.
Play4Kay is recognized nationally as an effort within sports communities to honor Coach Kay Yow’s legacy by uniting participants in support of those affected by women’s cancers. It also serves as an opportunity to recognize survivors and encourage those still facing these illnesses.
The Edith Sanford Breast Center operates more than two dozen locations with around 200 providers across South Dakota, North Dakota, and Minnesota as part of its integration with Sanford Health.
