Tournament brings focus to breast cancer
A player attempts to dribble the ball past his defender in the Hoops4L.Y.F.E tournament Saturday.
Photo by Timothy Ramsey
BY TIMOTHY RAMSEY
THE CHRONICLE
According to breastcancer.org, about one in eight U.S. Women will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of their lifetime. In 2016 alone an estimated 246,660 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in women in the United States.
To assist in bringing more awareness to this disease, the Hoops4L.Y.F.E. Organization held their third annual breast cancer awareness basketball tournament on Saturday, Oct. 22 at the Winston Lake Family YMCA.
Organization C.E.O. Brittany Ward thought of a way to give back to those in her community who have dealt with breast cancer. She said she didn’t see anyone showing how the disease was affecting the black community, so after hearing that her friend Tony Byrd had lost his mother to breast cancer, she thought the tournament would be a great way to celebrate her memory.
Ward said she would love to make the tournament bigger. They also use a portion of the proceeds to sponsor two women going through breast cancer by paying a utility bill. The portion of the funds are also donated to cancer services.
Byrd, who plays in the tournament each year, says his mother will forever be in his heart.
“I just wanted to let the world know that she is still alive in spirit,” said Byrd. “For my sister Brittany to come to me with the opportunity to be a part of the organization means a lot to me.”
The tournament this year included four teams that played a round robin to determine a champion. The games were fun loving and everyone showed great sportsmanship.
Partnering with the tournament were Cancer Services that provided information about the disease. Outreach educator Felecia Bennett-Giles says she goes to churches and barbershops around the area to educate individuals about cancer. She says breast cancer doesn’t just affect women and wants to make men aware of the warning signs as well.
Cancer Services has been connected with the tournament for the past two years. Bennett-Giles says they help anyone in the community dealing with cancer.
