Joining WGTC will be Georgia Northwestern, Middle Georgia Tech and Southern Crescent, as the Golden Knights host 'Hoops for Hope,' starting at 9 a.m., to benefit four area breast cancer awareness charities.
The idea came from WGTC women's basketball coach Kenny Edwards, who has a relationship with 'Hope for the Journey,' one of the benefiting charities.
"He and his team wanted to do a fund-raiser as a way for him and his team to give back to the community. Naturally, with October being breast cancer awareness month and basketball being a fall sport, they decided to host the first annual 'Hoops for Hope Breast Cancer Awareness Classic,'" noted Dawn Cook, vice president of institutional advancement.
The four-team jamboree is a preseason benefit that also coincides with WGTC homecoming. The event begins with West Georgia Tech facing Georgia Northwestern at 9 a.m., followed by Southern Crescent and Middle Georgia Tech at 10:30 a.m. Following the opening games, there will be a pair of games based on the winners and losers of the opening round at 12 p.m. and 1:30 p.m., followed by speakers at 2:45 p.m.
The speakers include WGTC President Skip Sullivan, coach Edwards and Rosie Holley, a breast cancer survivor who founded the ' Hope for the Journey Foundation.'
The three other schools participating ended up being a natural choice and fit.
"All four teams are conference rivals in the Georgia Intercollegiate Athletic Association, Region 17 JUCO. The other three teams that are coming in are actually sister technical colleges of ours that have women's basketball programs, as well," Cook said.
The three other schools not only agreed to participate in the fund-raiser, but are also making financial contributions to the foundations. Along with 'Hope for the Journey,' the Classic will benefit Carroll County's Tanner Health System, LaGrange's West Georgia Health and Newnan's Cancer Treatment Centers.
While those four were chosen this year, the plan is for the benefiting cancer treatment and awareness centers to rotate as 'Hoops for Hope' continues.
Along with plans to continue the benefit for years to come, WGTC has been promoting this year's jamboree at the West Georgia Tech Tailgate Show that travels to local high schools before Friday night football games.
"We would love to [continue the program]. We have been visiting several of the high schools recently on the tailgate show to sell wristbands and T-shirts in support of this event and it's been widely accepted, and, of course, widely supported by the community. We'll continue to have those wristbands and T-shirts for sale on Saturday, as well, as long as supplies last," Cook said.
Following the four-team women's basketball jamboree, the WGTC men's basketball team will play its Black and Gold game at 3 p.m. with the presentation of the homecoming court and homecoming week award winners at halftime.
"We're just extremely grateful and thankful to all of our sponsors for their corporate support of this event and look forward to seeing everybody on Saturday," Cook said.
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