Panera Bread Sponsoring Women's Basketball Breast Cancer Awareness

From: JMU Athletics

Sponsored locally by Panera Bread, the breast cancer awareness program WBCA Pink Zone™ kicks off in the area this week with Thursday evening's (Feb. 12) James Madison-Hofstra women's basketball game at the JMU Convocation Center.

The Pink Zone breast cancer awareness initiative is a global, unified effort for Women's Basketball Coaches Association members to assist in raising breast cancer awareness on the court, across campuses, in communities and beyond.

Thursday marks the first of two Pink Zone games at JMU. The Dukes' Feb. 19 contest vs. North Carolina Wilmington has also been designated a Pink Zone game.

"Panera Bread is committed to serving the members of the local community, many of whom have had their lives touched by breast cancer," said Rick Postle, President of Blue Ridge Bread, the Panera Bread Franchise that owns and operates 11 bakery-cafes in Virginia. "We are honored to support JMU’s women’s basketball Pink Zone games."

Free tickets to both Pink Zone games are available at the Panera Bread location in Harrisonburg Crossing The bakery-caf… is also offering a courtesy cup of coffee at its Harrisonburg location.

At the Feb. 12 game Panera Bread will host a pre-game reception for survivors and those currently diagnosed with the disease. Survivors will also be honored at halftime.

For those purchasing tickets at the door, both games will feature $3 admission for those wearing pink. Free pink ribbons will be given to fans and pink wavy balloons will be distributed to fans seated in the courtside end zones.

JMU's coaching staff, Duke Dog, cheerleaders and the dance team Dukettes will wear pink. The Dukes' players will don pink warm-ups, pink shoelaces, and pink headbands.

The game programs will also be printed in pink, and the in-game t-shirt toss will feature pink t-shirts. Pink cotton candy will be sold at the concession stand.

A number of community groups will have displays on the concourse area of the Convocation Center near entrance E. Groups include Relay for Life, Eta Sigma Gamma, Image Recovery, Student Wellness & Outreach, Every Woman's Life, American Cancer Society, Reach to Recovery, RMH Women's Health Focus and Zeta Tau Alpha.

More than 1,250 schools and organizations nationwide have committed to participating in the 2009 Pink Zone initiative. In 2008 more than 1,200 teams and organizations participated, reaching over 830,000 fans and raising over $930,000 for breast cancer awareness and research.