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Friday, January 6, 2017 | BataviasBest.org
For IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information contact: Mike Wilson 716.949.0523
Pembroke Girls’ Basketball team to host 6th annual Shooting For A Cure! game
Team has raised over $40,000 for breast cancer research over the past five seasons
Corfu, NY, January 5, 2017—During the last five seasons, The Pembroke High School Girls’ Basketball Team has focused on winning—not just league games, but the battle against breast cancer. It’s a cause that is personal to the team and their school district because of the number of faculty and family members who have been affected by the disease. Yet according to Senior Captain, Shelby Turner, this year’s fundraiser (7pm, Thursday, January 12th vs. Notre Dame) is particularly important as it marks the final season this group of four seniors will be able to play in the event.
“I was only in 7th grade when the first varsity team came up with the idea to host the inaugural Shooting For A Cure! game in support of Toni Funke’s battle with breast cancer,” Turner said. The team spent that season seeking support from the community and local businesses in hopes of funding research efforts at Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) in honor of Mrs. Funke. “Although I was a young player on the modified team it was amazing to see our community come together the way they did in support of her,” Turner stated. “This fundraiser means so much to our team because it gives us an opportunity to give back to the community, especially those battling cancer. This game is our identity and we take tremendous pride in that,” Turner said.
The 2017 Shooting For A Cure! donors list numbers more than 75 merchants and individuals such as 26 Shirts, ADPRO Sports, AdWorks, Buffalo Bandits, Bills, Bisons & Sabres, Carly’s Club, Cheesecake Factory, Chef’s, Darien Lake, Insty-Prints, NFL Films, Original Pizza Logs, Party City, Perry’s Ice Cream, Target, Tops, Wal-Mart and the YMCA to name a few. Many of the product donations will become game night auction baskets and raffle prizes. The Buffalo Bisons will be sending Buster out that evening in support of Shooting For A Cure! for the sixth consecutive year. Monies will also be raised from apparel sales and food sales with the generous support of local pizzerias and vending companies. All of the proceeds raised that evening will continue to directly benefit research efforts at Roswell Park. Additionally, online donations are being accepted at the team’s online fundraising site: (https://www.crowdrise.com/shooting4acure).
Right after Christmas, a new donor emerged with one of the most generous monetary donations to date in support of Shooting For A Cure! The New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association (NYSCOPBA) donated an astounding $2,500 to RPCI in support of Shooting For A Cure! “Roswell Park has done incredible things for our membership. It has helped so many of our members and their families battling cancer. We wanted to give back to Roswell Park as well as support the incredible efforts of the Pembroke Girls Basketball team,” Western Region NYSCOPBA Vice President Joe Miano said. As a former Pembroke graduate and current resident, Joe is a firm believer in this cause, “This group of young women, with the support of the Pembroke School District, continues to do great things for the community beyond the basketball court. It’s truly inspiring and we wanted to take this opportunity to reinforce their efforts.” Joe Miano, accompanied by a few additional members, will take part in a check presentation with the team to be held prior to the varsity game (7pm, Thursday, January 12th) that evening hosted by DJ Jickster from 97 Rock.
The team hopes Shooting For A Cure! will continue its tradition of topping the previous years’ fundraising total. According to team member Sammi Tatarski, the event succeeds because of the format. “All of the money raised that evening goes directly to support cancer research at Roswell Park,” Tatarski said. “Playing for this team is not just about basketball, it’s about giving back to the community and showing our support for those in need any way we can.” Tatarski added, “This game is personal to me because in 2013 my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. Seeing what she went through was difficult and no one wants to see a family member go through that. It inspired me to want to do whatever I could to help find a cure for this disease. That 2013 season I was just a young kid on the JV team. This game has had a special meaning to me ever since that day and I truly believe in what it stands for.”
Roswell Park has officially sanctioned Shooting For A Cure! as a Team Cure fundraiser and as a valuable example of the way that young people can make a difference. “We continue to be impressed by the Pembroke Girls’ Basketball Team each season. They push themselves, not only on the court, but off the court as well going above and beyond for the benefit of others. It’s inspirational to have a group of teens who are so passionate about raising funds for cancer research at Roswell Park. These girls continue to demonstrate an incredible amount of compassion,” said Julia Harvey, Team Cure coordinator. “This team is special and their community is amazing. Although the players may change each season, Shooting For A Cure! has remained constant, with the girls leading the charge, for five consecutive seasons,” Harvey added. “To think that they’ve has raised over $40,000 in five seasons with this game is a testament to benevolence of these girls and the entire Pembroke community.”
For more information: Facebook, [https://www.facebook.com/PemGBBPinkGame/]
Twitter, [https://twitter.com/pemgbb_pinkgame]
Pinterest, [https://www.pinterest.com/shooting4acure/]
Crowdrise, [https://www.crowdrise.com/Shooting4aCure]
Pembroke, [http://www.pembrokecsd.org/athletics/winter_sports/varsity_girls_basketball/]
ABOUT PEMBROKE HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS’ VARSITY BASKETBALL TEAM: The Pembroke High School Girls’ Varsity Basketball Team is comprised of 9 outstanding girls, ages 14 to 17. Their 2016-2017 captains are Savanna Calderon, Katie Haefele, Sammi Tatarski and Shelby Turner. They are coached by Ron Funke. Team colors are green and black and their nickname is The Dragons. The team began Shooting For A Cure! as an annual event in 2011 and they are committed to the hard work and dedication it will take to win the battle against breast cancer.
ABOUT ROSWELL PARK CANCER INSTITUTE: RPCI is among the first and only upstate New York facility to hold the National Cancer Institute designation of “comprehensive cancer center” and to serve as a member of the prestigious National Comprehensive Cancer Network. Many RPCI faculty serve on the NCCN panels that create the Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology™ — the internationally recognized standards for clinical policy in oncology, and the most comprehensive, most frequently updated clinical practice guidelines available in any area of medicine. The RCPI campus spans 25 acres in downtown Buffalo and consists of 15 buildings with about 1.6 million square feet of space. A new hospital building, completed in 1998, houses a comprehensive diagnostic and treatment center. In addition, the Institute built a new medical research complex and renovated existing education and research space to support its future growth and expansion. www.roswellpark.org
ABOUT THE NEW YORK STATE CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS & POLICE BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION (NYSCOPBA): NYSCOPBA represents over 30,000 New York State employees and retirees from the Security Services Unit. Our Union was formed in May 1998 and since that time has provided superior representation to our membership under the independent and democratic model. Our objectives are to improve the terms and conditions of employment, protect our members contractual rights, provide high quality representation in the collective bargaining process, communicate effectively with the membership, achieve legislative gains, and to promote the overall welfare of our members. http://www.nyscopba.org/
ABOUT 97 ROCK & DJ DAVE JICKSTER: 97 Rock is a radio station in Buffalo, NY that supports local sports, musicians, and DJs along with being among the region’s most popular classic rock music station. DJ Dave Jickster is an Alexander High School graduate and Attica resident. As a DJ for 97 Rock, Jickster is a popular on-air personality and Promotions Director. He supports multiple charitable organizations by promoting and attending events with 97 Rock. www.97rock.com/shows/jickster
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Year-in, and year-out, this game is a fantastic example of a group of young athletes helping their community. Hope to see you there.
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‘Shooting for a Cure’: Pembroke Girls Basketball raises near $10,000 for Roswell Park
