MURFREESBORO- On Saturday, April 18th, the Chowan University women's basketball team were invited to Bertie Middle School for the Bertie County Community Awareness Day. The event featured Bertie County Relay for Life, members from the community, Bertie High School women's basketball, and a variety of presenters.
The purpose of the event is to reach new-target audience of younger people, especially high school and college athletes. Bertie County Department of Social Service parnered with the American Cancer Society to educate citizens about cancer. Guest speakers, Dr. Ron Allison of the Leo Jenkins Cancer Center in Greenville, Elisa Newsom from the Roanoke-Chowan Hospital in Ahoskie, Megan Booth-Mills from Bertie Memorial Hospital, and Mayor Robert Spivy from Windsor, presented numerous topics on cancer. The topics included, but not limited to, personal battles with cancer, the importance of early detection, and services offered by local hospitals.
Patrick Mashuda, Women's Basketball Head Coach, recently completed his fifth season as the head of the women's basketball program. Since taking over the program in 2004, Mashuda has been active in the community for the past five seasons. Mashuda's squads have participated in the annual Habitat for Humanity Fund Raiser Dinner at Catherine's in Ahoskie. Last season, the Hawks participated in a nationwide campaign to raise awareness for cancer and cancer research when they took part in the WBCA's PinkZone game. Chowan was one of 1,500 schools nationwide participating in the annual event last season. The Hawks raised over $250 that night; the event raised over $800,000 nationwide.
Coach Mashuda explained the reason to participate in Relay for Life. "By participating in Relay in Life, we hoped to educate our student-athletes about cancer by doing post screenings and encouraging them not to be afraid to talk about cancer. We hope to achieve our ultimate goal of finding a cure for cancer" Mashuda acknowledged.
Assistant Coach, Chelsea Haines, explained the importance of the student-athletes participating in Relay for Life. "By increasing awareness of cancer at an early age, we hope that student-athletes will be diligent in working with their physicians to identify changes in their health and get early screenings, as well as passing information along to family members and friends" said Haines. "We want everyone to know that in most cases, the chance of surviving most forms of cancer is dramatically increased with early detection and new treatments. New technology also allows patients to miss less work or school with fewer treatments" stated Haines.
The Hawks were contacted by Linda McNair-Moore of the Bertie County Department of Social Services, who had seen the team involvement with the WBCA PinkZone game and invited th team to participate in this community event. "Our student-athletes appreciate opportunites to give back to the community that supports athletics here at Chowan" Haines acknowledged.
"I hope the Chowan University athletes follow Dr. Ron Allison's advice to prevent some forms of cancer" stated Mashuda. "Student-athletes balance hectic schedules and it is difficult for them to maintain healthy lifestyles. I hope they understand the importance of getting enough sleep, avoiding fatty and fried foods, and refraining from alcohol or tobacco use. I hope they feel empowered to speak up about cancer and the importance of getting early screenings and practicing healthy lifestyle habits with their friends and families" concluded Mashuda.
For more information on Chowan University athletic programs volunteering in your community, please contact Meredith Long, (252)398-6468 or email: longm@chowan.edu.
