HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On April 1 at 10:55 a.m., two teams of cancer survivors will play on the same floor as Final Four participants at NRG Stadium to raise awareness in the fight to end cancer. The game, open to both the media and the public, is a new event resulting from Infiniti’s long-standing partnership with Coaches vs. Cancer®, the American Cancer Society, the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), the NCAA and CBS/Turner. Now in its sixth year, Infiniti has pledged to make donations to Coaches vs. Cancer totaling $700,000 through its Round by Round brackets on CBSSports.com/infiniti.
The “Hardwood Heroes” teams are led by four coaches, each with impressive winning backgrounds as coaches and players in the NCAA. Team Penders is led by Coach Tom Penders, former University of Houston head coach, and assistant coach Doug Gottlieb, former point guard at Oklahoma State. Team Harrick head coach Jim Harrick led UCLA to its 1995 Championship, and assistant coach TJ Ford is an eight-year NBA veteran and was the first freshman in NCAA history to lead the nation in assists.
Each player has a story of courage and strength in their winning battle against cancer. Infiniti captured this experience and filmed behind-the-scenes moments that will air throughout the tournament during the Infiniti NCAA Tip-Off Show. This video is available here.
“We are so inspired by the stories of each of these individuals and honored to be involved with Coaches vs. Cancer to help give the survivors a chance to fulfill a dream they each have,” said Allyson Witherspoon, director of marketing communications and media for Infiniti.
Media are invited to interview players and watch their Final Team practice at the University of Houston’s Hofheinz Pavilion, located at 3422 Cullen Blvd, Houston TX 77204 on March 31, from 5:00PM-7:00PM.
The teams were formed in February when Infiniti invited 14 young men and women who have survived cancer to join a basketball team to raise awareness for Coaches vs. Cancer. After three days of tryouts and practice, the players were divided into the two teams.
Players on Team Harrick include: Walter Gordy III (Houston), Ryan Fuson (Houston), Dominic Austin (Houston), Presley Nelson (Washington, D.C.), Scott Odom (Ft. Worth), Iram Leon (Austin) and Christina Davis (Houston).
Players on team Penders include: Brandon Burton (Houston), Allan Shaffer (Houston), Harrison Guiol (Los Angeles), Mike Thompson (Austin), Thomas Cantley (Atlanta), Priscilla Hernandez (Tombull, TX) and Lexie Stephens (Houston).
Infiniti is also the presenting sponsor for the Tip-Off Tailgate, the on-site, pre-game fan experience that is open to the public. Here, fans can enjoy music and test their skills on the Slam Cam 180 degree camera experience and share their photos on their social media networks. Fans can also enjoy Infiniti vehicles on display, including the all-new Q60 and QX30 which will be in Infiniti showrooms later this summer, as well as the 2016 QX50, QX60 and QX80.
About Infiniti
Infiniti Motor Company Ltd. is headquartered
in Hong Kong with sales operations in over 50 countries. The Infiniti
brand was launched in 1989. Its range of premium automobiles is
currently built in manufacturing facilities in Japan, the United States,
United Kingdom and China. Infiniti plans to also expand manufacturing
into Mexico by 2017.
Infiniti design studios are located in Atsugi-Shi, near Yokohama, London, San Diego and Beijing.
Infiniti is in the middle of a major product offensive. The brand has been widely acclaimed for its iconic design and innovative driver-assistance technologies.
More information about Infiniti and its industry leading technologies can be found at www.infiniti.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and see all our latest videos on YouTube.
About NCAA
The NCAA is a
diverse association of more than 1,100 member colleges and universities
that prioritize academics, well-being and fairness to create greater
opportunities for nearly half a million student-athletes each year. The
NCAA provides a pathway to higher education and beyond for
student-athletes pursuing academic goals and competing in NCAA sports.
More than 54,000 student-athletes experience the pinnacle of
intercollegiate athletics by competing in NCAA championships each year.
Visit ncaa.org and ncaa.com for more details about the Association and
the corporate partnerships that support the NCAA and its
student-athletes. The NCAA is proud to have AT&T, Capital One and
Coca-Cola as official corporate champions and the following elite
companies as official corporate partners: Allstate, Amazon Echo, Bing
(Microsoft), Buffalo Wild Wings, Buick, Enterprise, Infiniti, LG,
Lowe’s, Nabisco, Northwestern Mutual, Reese’s, Unilever and UPS. [NCAA
is a trademark of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.]
About the National Association of Basketball
Coaches
Located in Kansas City, Missouri, the NABC was
founded in 1927 by Forrest “Phog” Allen, the legendary basketball coach
at the University of Kansas. Allen, a student of James Naismith, the
inventor of basketball, organized coaches into this collective group to
serve as Guardians of the Game. The NABC currently has nearly 5,000
members consisting primarily of university and college men’s basketball
coaches. All members of the NABC are expected to uphold the core values
of being a Guardian of the Game by bringing attention to the positive
aspects of the sport of basketball and the role coaches play in the
academic and athletic lives of today’s student-athletes. The four core
values of being a Guardian of the Game are advocacy, leadership, service
and education. Additional information about the NABC, its programs and
membership, can be found at www.nabc.org.
About the American Cancer Society
Coaches
vs. Cancer is a collaboration between the American Cancer Society and
the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) that empowers
coaches, their teams, and communities to join in saving more lives. The
program leverages the personal experiences, community leadership, and
professional excellence of basketball coaches nationwide to increase
cancer awareness and promote healthy living through year-round awareness
efforts, fundraising activities, and advocacy programs.
