DURANGO, Colo. — The eighth-ranked Fort Lewis College women's basketball team will participate in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Play 4Kay event by wearing pink jerseys during its game against New Mexico Highlands on Saturday, February 4 in Whalen Gymnasium.

The Skyhawk are again teaming with Alpine Bank to raise funds for the Journey of Hope Fund that provides free mammograms to women in our community who may not otherwise be able to afford them.

The Skyhawks will don pink jerseys for the game, an annual tradition they began three years ago. Following the game, the jerseys will be autographed and sold for $150 each. Additionally, pink t-shirts will be sold at the game.

WBCA 2012 Play 4Kay breast cancer events are scheduled at colleges and universities throughout the country during February. Over the past five years, the WBCA Pink Zone initiative has raised a phenomenal amount of awareness for breast cancer, as well as a significant amount of donations for women's cancer research.

Known as the WBCA Pink Zone the past four years, events are being rebranded as Play 4Kay for February 2012. The mission of the initiative, which was brought to life in 2007, will remain intact — a nation of coaches raising breast cancer awareness on the court, across campuses, in communities, and beyond.

The justification behind the rebranding is to keep the story and legacy of the former North Carolina State women's basketball coach Kay Yow at the forefront. Yow's third recurrence of breast cancer in 2006 was the catalyst to the WBCA Pink Zone. Before her passing on January 24, 2009, Coach Yow, along with her teammates the WBCA and The V Foundation, achieved the feat of uniting thousands in the fight against women's cancers and since then the movement continues to grow and change lives each and every year during the month of February.

Fans are encouraged to wear pink to show their support for the cause. All breast cancer fighters and survivors are invited to attend free of charge.

Tipoff is 5:30 p.m. between the Skyhawks (16-2 overall, 13-1 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) and the Cowgirls (10-9, 6-9).

To reserve your free tickets or for more information, contact assistant coach Kristen Mattio at (970) 247-7390 or mattio_k@fortlewis.edu.