SPOKANE, Wash. — The Gonzaga Men’s Basketball Team will face off against the University of Portland on Thursday night for a good cause.
January 2 is the second annual Community Cancer Fund Classic at Spokane Arena. The bulldogs will go up against the Portland Pilots to raise money to support cancer patients and their families across the Inland Northwest.
For 10 years, The Community Cancer Fund has raised money for cancer treatment, housing and other critical everyday needs of cancer patients.
This year’s theme is “I am.”
“‘I am’ is our anthem. What that means is that we all play a part in the fight against cancer, and we all have a connection. It can be, ‘I am’ a doctor who treats patients with cancer, ‘I am’ a survivor or ‘I am’ someone who lost someone to cancer,” said Jon Neill, Executive Director of the fund.
He said the organization has helped thousands of people and families, and the money raised by the game is crucial.
“It’s most important to keep [families] together during the fight, sometimes it’s with young kids who are in the middle of their cancer battle, and we preserve the family unit,” said Neill.
Both teams wore “I am” t-shirts during warm-ups before the game.
“It’s two teams, but one important cause and that’s the fight against cancer,” said Neill.
COPYRIGHT 2025 BY KXLY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.
