United in the fight against ALL cancers affecting women.
Jump straight into our one-stop-shop, the Play4Kay Playbook:
What is Play4Kay?
The vision of Play4Kay came directly from Coach Kay Yow.
Through Play4Kay, she saw a way to bring communities together and honor cancer warriors in the fight against ALL cancers affecting women. Uniting players, coaches, officials and fans to do something for the greater good that far exceeds wins and losses in competition, the Play4Kay initiative is our largest fundraiser and plays a major role in our success.
The vision of Play4Kay came directly from Coach Kay Yow.
Through Play4Kay, she saw a way to bring communities together and honor cancer warriors in the fight against ALL cancers affecting women. Uniting players, coaches, officials, and fans to do something for the greater good that far exceeds wins and losses in competition, the Play4Kay initiative is our largest fundraiser and plays a major role in our success.
How do I join the movement?
It’s as simple as it sounds–a game named Play4Kay, honoring cancer survivors and donating money to the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. We’ve compiled a PDF of resources to make hosting a Play4Kay game a breeze, but here are the 3 easy steps:
Pick a game on your schedule & call it Play4Kay
Raise money around your game and donate it to the Kay Yow Cancer Fund
Celebrate female cancer survivors, thrivers, and warriors at your game!
Why should my team Play4Kay?
An opportunity to participate in a national grassroots movement that impacts the lives of loved ones affected by cancer.
Play4Kay games are often the highest attended games of the season uniting coaches, players, officials and fans to do something for the greater good that far exceeds wins and losses in competition.
High schools, colleges and universities across the country participate in Play4Kay events. Over 1,000 teams nationwide have participated. Take a look at who has participated in the past.
Raising money at your game
Raising money for the Kay Yow Cancer Fund is easy. We thank you for your support and look forward to continuing to make an impact together.
Below are some examples of how money has been raised at Play4Kay games in the past:
- Ticket sales
- Silent auctions
- Raffle tickets
- Competitions within your community
- Donations from attendees
- Community sponsorship
Did you know the Kay Yow Cancer Fund leaves a grant in the host city of every NCAA Women’s Final Four?
That’s thanks to you!
Custom fundraising pages
The Kay Yow Cancer Fund is proud to have awarded over $8 million in the fight against all cancers affecting women! This wouldn’t be possible without your help! Let us help you create your custom fundraising page!
Traditional Fundraising
This platform uses traditional giving based on teams and donations.
Set up your team and fundraise how you see fit!
Contact us for additional
information on mailing checks!
Statistic Based Fundraising
Use this platform to raise money based on sport-based statistics. Choose a dollar amount per free throw, 3-pointer, strike-out, kills, goals & more. Donors can also choose to make one-time flat donations
Have questions? Contact kelsey.harris@kayyow.com
Celebrate cancer survivors
A key element to a Play4Kay game is taking the time to celebrate female cancer survivors & thrivers! Whether it’s at halftime, after the buzzer, or during the game, lifting up those courageous women is important.
When Coach Yow established the Fund, she wanted nothing more than for these warriors to be honored, lifted up, encouraged and given hope. She believed that united together, we could do amazing things.
Below are a few examples of how cancer warriors can be celebrated at Play4Kay games:
- Ask 5 warriors to participate in starting line-ups
- Invite several warriors to speak to the team (before or after practice)
- Honor warriors by asking them to participate in an on-court celebration during a quarter break or halftime
- Ask warriors to participate in an honorary jump ball
- Have warriors make a tunnel for high-fives for the team to enter
- Host a post-game reception
Empower the Next Generation
The EmPOWERment Tour
As part of your participation, the Kay Yow Cancer Fund is offering you a free opportunity to be a part of the EmPOWERment Tour. Through our Empowerment Tour, we are able to educate, empower and equip the next generation in the fight against ALL cancers affecting women.
We’ve made creating, hosting and taking part in a Play4Kay game easier than ever.
Click the heart to view the tools
Here you’ll find all the information you could need with plenty of goodies to amplify your impact like P.A. reads, videos, printable materials and more!
Play4Kay unites players, coaches, officials and fans to do something for the greater good that far exceeds wins and losses in competition, the Play4Kay initiative is our largest fundraiser and plays a major role in our success.
Download all the above resources compiled into a single Playbook
How to donate:
We’ve even included a playlist to pump up your visitors, players, and survivors! We collected some songs to empower attendees of all ages.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
While Coach Yow had an on-and-off-again battle with breast cancer, our goal at the Kay Yow Cancer Fund is to fight all cancers that affect women. This includes breast cancer, skin cancer, brain cancer, and any cancer a woman has ever battled.
While similar, Play4Kay means so much more!
Hosting a Play4Kay game rather than a “pink game” signifies your intention to fight cancer alongside the Kay Yow Cancer Fund and uplift survivors–a key part of programming. Calling it a Play4Kay game also allows the Fund to share your social posts across our nationwide audience.
We encourage you to involve your community! Make your game vibrant and as pink as possible, but remember, a Play4Kay game is about much more than a color, it’s about the women it represents.
Kay Yow Cancer Fund does not sell merchandise. However, t-shirts are available for purchase for groups’ and teams’ needs. Click here to access our online store.
We thank you so much for your dedication to fighting cancer!
We encourage you to donate here, find your team, and/or leave a comment telling us your team’s name.
Since our inception, we have awarded over $8 million in the fight against all cancers affecting women. Your support is instrumental to our mission:
Raising money for life-saving cancer research, underserved programs that provide access to quality cancer healthcare, and unite people in the fight against all cancers affecting women.
Check out the grants we’ve given across the country by clicking here.
Of course! Before you write it, please reach out to Kelsey Harris (kelsey.harris@kayyow.com) to inquire about the address and other info.
Tag @KayYowFund on social media and we will share information about your Play4Kay game, joining teams nationwide.
Yes! The top fundraising team in each division will be recognized at the end of the season. View past winners and participants here.
Officials have united in the fight against cancer in amazing ways over the years. To learn more about how you can get involved, contact Kelsey Harris (kelsey.harris@kayyow.com).
Other Questions?
Feel free to reach out to us! Our Kay Yow Cancer Fund team will be glad to guide you whether it’s your first Play4Kay game or your 100th!
- Jennifer Sullivan
Senior Director of Programming
(jennifer.sullivan@kayyow.com)
- Kelsey Harris
Director of Play4Kay
(kelsey.harris@kayyow.com)
- Audra Smith
VP of Play4Kay
(audra.smith@kayyow.com)