Head Coaches Geno Auriemma and Kellie Harper Personally Donate to Non-Profits
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – This evening, the Tennessee Lady Vols will host the UConn Huskies in year two of the Basketball Hall of Fame Revival Series. Widely regarded as the two most successful programs in women’s basketball history, the teams consistently met from 1995-2007, but did not face each other again until year one of the Revival Series in January 2020.
Tonight’s matchup of the two nationally ranked teams will be highlighted by head coaches Geno Auriemma and Kellie Harper each making a personal donation of $10,000 to the event’s two benefitting non-profits, the Pat Summitt Foundation and the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. A check for $20,000 will be presented at tonight’s game televised on ESPN at 7 p.m. EST.
In year one, monies generated by fan attendance supported the event’s donation to the Pat Summit Foundation. With limited fan attendance and challenges faced in year two due to the global pandemic, the Revival Series head coaches stepped-up to support the event’s philanthropic mission.
About Pat Summitt Foundation:
The Pat Summitt Foundation, a fund of East Tennessee Foundation, was established by Pat and Tyler Summitt in November 2011. Its mission is to award grants to non-profit organizations that advance research for treatment and a cure, provide support for patients and caregivers, and educate the public about Alzheimer’s disease. In 2015, The Pat Summitt Foundation formed a strategic partnership with The University of Tennessee Medical Center to create The Pat Summitt Clinic. The clinic, which opened in January 2017, greatly improves access to healthcare services for families and patients facing Alzheimer’s disease in a facility created to advance Alzheimer’s research, detection, treatment, and family caregiver support. To learn more, please visit www.patsummitt.org, like the foundation on facebook.com/patsummittfoundation, and follow it on Twitter and Instagram @webackpat.
About the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame:
The mission of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame is to “Honor the Past, Celebrate the Present and Promote the Future” of women’s basketball. The Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Knoxville, Tennessee, opened in June 1999. The WBHOF is an independent, non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization dedicated to preserving the history, celebrating the present and promoting the future of women’s basketball at all levels, both domestically and internationally. Over 170 men and women who have had a significant impact on women’s basketball as players, coaches, officials, and administrators have been inducted into the Hall. The Hall has 32,000 square feet of artifacts and interactive exhibits chronicling the history of the women’s basketball. For more information on the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, visit www.wbhof.com, follow on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @wbhof or call 1-865-633-9000.
About the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame:
Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the city where basketball was born, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an independent non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting, preserving and celebrating the game of basketball at every level – men and women, amateur and professional players, coaches and contributors, both domestically and internationally. The Hall of Fame museum is home to more than 400 inductees and over 40,000 square feet of basketball history. Nearly 200,000 people visit the Hall of Fame museum each year to learn about the game, experience the interactive exhibits and test their skills on the Jerry Colangelo "Court of Dreams." Best known for its annual marquee Enshrinement Ceremony honoring the game’s elite, the Hall of Fame also operates over 70 high school and collegiate competitions annually throughout the country and abroad. For more information on the Basketball Hall of Fame organization, its museum and events, visit www.hoophall.com, follow @hoophall #HOFRevival or call 1-877-4HOOPLA.