Auriemma hosts 'Night of Hope'

Geno's Cancer Team hosted the fundraiser "A Night of Hope" last night, to commemorate Breast Cancer Awareness Month at the Student Union Theater.

Though the event was sparsely attended, the event's theme "Remember, Celebrate, Believe" certainly resonated with the guests, speakers and performers present.

UConn women's basketball coach and founder of Geno's Cancer Team Geno Auriemma addressed the audience.

"It's not surprising you're all here," he said. It means "that you want to make a difference in someone's life."

"Everyone has their own story," said Auriemma, noting that many know friends or family members who have battled cancer. "Everyone needs people to rally around," he said.

Auriemma counted the number of men in the room - which was very small - and joked that the women should take a look at their boyfriends.

"They're not into giving," he said, laughing. "They just want, want, want, want."

Geno's Cancer Team raises money for The V Foundation for Cancer Research. According to the event program, "the V Foundation awards 100 percent of direct cash donations directly to cancer research."

Barbara Oliver, a 22-year breast cancer survivor and former executive director of Y-Me Connecicut Breast Cancer Organization also spoke to the UConn community.

"One out of eight women, if she lives to be 85 or so," will be diagnosed with breast cancer, said Oliver. "Nineteen-hundred men are diagnosed with breast cancer a year," she said.

Oliver explained that as a healthy, 40-year-old mother of four, she gave herself a self exam and discovered "what felt like a little pea."

"I thought 'it's not supposed to be here,'" she said. "The rest is history - it was breast cancer."

It doesn't matter if there is a family history of breast cancer or not, said Oliver.

"The great thing about breast cancer today," Oliver said, "is that each woman is an individual."

"It's about what doctors can do for each individual case," said Oliver, who had to have a mastectomy and chemotherapy in order to overcome her cancer.

She encourages women to educate themselves about self exams. Oliver also said that it is important for those who are battling cancer to have a support group such as familiy, like she did.

"Be there for that person who has cancer," she said. "Don't give up."

UConn's two all-female a capella groups Ruby Fruit and the Chordials performed three songs each - fulfilling the "celebrate" part of the event's theme.

Andrew Sullivan, executive director of the Cancer Team's College Initiative Program, opened the event.

"You need to make the commitment," said Sullivan. "Deciding to do something and actually doing it are two different things."

"Huskies can overcome anything and come forward," he said, noting the recent on-campus murder of UConn football player Jasper Howard.

Auriemma also remembered the late Kay Yow - the former coach of North Carolina State University's women's basketball team who lost her life to breast cancer earlier this year.

He spoke to the students, and said that it's important for the young people to remember the people that came before them.

Auriemma encouraged the audience to join his team and support the cancer research and awareness.

Geno's Cancer Team will host their first open forum of the semester on Nov. 10, according to the event program.

For more information, visit www.genoscancerteam.com.