Fairfield ready to take on cancer

Where usually is orange and black, pink is going to take over ? at least for one night.

Pink jerseys, fundraisers and basketball will all come together Friday night at FHS for the first annual coaches vs. cancer night aimed towards fundraising for the American Cancer Society.

?We?re just trying to get something started this first year,? said Chad Thompson, who has taken one of the lead planning roles for the event. ?We hope, obviously, to make it an annual event, break out the uniforms around this time every year. Hopefully it gets a little bigger and better every year.?

Coaches vs. cancer has been a highly successful tradition at the collegiate basketball level for upwards of 10 years, and now, there has been a big push to get something started and Fairfield has jumped on board.

The idea initially got rolling last October when Thompson ? an assistant coach with the Trojan basketball program ? along with head coach Billy Strickler heard Iowa State men?s head man Greg McDermott ? husband of a breast cancer survivor himself ? speak at a coaching clinic. McDermott?s story has inspired several teams and schools around the state of Iowa to participate in a benefit event, including Fairfield with the blessing of Athletic Director Bret Moews.

?There were a couple schools that did it last year, but this year a lot more schools are picking it up ? it has really gained some momentum this year,? Thompson said.

An initial donation from Community 1st Credit Union was made to go towards any ?special event,? and Friday night certainly fit the bill. That donation, along with help from the Trojan athletic boosters, has purchased a roster full of pink jerseys ready to go for Friday?s quadruple-header vs. Washington.

?We?re always trying to look for something fun and exciting to get involved with in the community and also something to support the school and the booster club,? said Community 1st Credit Union manager Renee Rebling. ?We?ll all be there in our pink shirts doing what we have to help out, and hopefully it will be a successful night.?

In addition to basketball, prize games and raffles will occur at halftime of each varsity contest along with plenty of opportunities to donate. Raffle prizes include iPods, homemade quilts, gift cards and more with tickets on sale at Community 1st, at tonight?s boys? game vs. Keokuk as well as Friday night itself.

?I?ve been working hand-in-hand with the booster club, and after Coach Thompston brought it to my attention, Community 1st has been all for it,? Moews said. ?We just hope to make it a good event Friday night, but more importantly learn some things and make it even better in the coming years.?

Along with Moews, Thompson has been on the forefront of the organization partly because of his involvement with the basketball program, the booster club as well as having a personal situation with cancer this past summer when his daughter Megan, a 2008 FHS graduate, was affected with the disease.

?It definitely has a personal significance because cancer affects so many families and ours is now included,? he said. ?You hear the cancer word and it?s kind of scary, but it?s nice to have the Holden Cancer Center at the University of Iowa, which is something the American Cancer Society is here to fund.?

Without a definite goal in mind, one thing for sure is that money that is raised will go directly to the American Cancer Society with all money originating in the state of Iowa staying here. Thompson has certainly done a lot of the heavy lifting to get the event off the ground, but when Friday comes others may be taking the lead.

?My biggest problem is I have to be on the bench coaching,? he said ?I would like to help where I can, but there are more than a few tasks that I have to take care of between coaching and helping with the fundraising.?

Friday?s basketball action will feature the JV girls playing at Fairfield Middle School and the JV boys playing at Fairfield High School ? both beginning at 4:45 p.m. ? with the varsity girls vs. No. 13-ranked Washington and varsity boys to follow.