By Steve Sampsell
Almost all major men??s college basketball coaches conduct some sort of charitable effort or serve as spokesmen for a cause in their community??and a fair number of those coaches do more than just go through the motions with those efforts.
Few champion a cause like Penn State coach Ed DeChellis, though. His work with Coaches vs. Cancer has earned him accolades and respect locally and nationally.
For him, it??s more than just a charitable cause. His personal attention and concern, along with the work of an active group of sponsors, committee members and the Nittany Lion Hoops Club, have made Penn State one of the model programs for the national Coaches vs. Cancer effort.
??It??s easy to say, but we really have a team effort,?? said DeChellis, who was honored as the 2006 National Coaches vs. Cancer Man of the Year during the national CVC golf tournament last June at Laurel Valley Golf Club in Ligonier. ??Our committee has been involved longer than me and they do a great job. They??ve been involved for 13 years or so. For me, it??s only been about four years.
??But, when your peers recognize you it??s special. It??s an award that I greatly appreciate and cherish.??
Previous winners of the award include Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim and former Missouri coach Norm Stewart, among others.
??It is a tremendous honor for Ed and great for Penn State to have our basketball coach recognized and represent the University,?? Director of Athletics Tim Curley said. ??Ed has made a terrific impact not only on our basketball program but in the community, and this is a testament to his perseverance and hard work.??
During his tenure at East Tennessee State University, DeChellis also worked through the Coaches vs. Cancer program. Established in 1993 as a partnership between the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches, the program works to raise awareness of cancer risk, early detection and prevention.
Through local golf tournaments and special events across the country, the annual Coaches vs. Cancer Classic basketball tournament and other fundraising efforts, the program has raised more than $30 million nationally since its inception. Those monies support cancer advocacy, education, research and patient services.
The national organization provides guidelines, support and some suggested fundraising efforts. After that, athletic programs and coaches who choose to participate may tailor the Coaches vs. Cancer effort in the manner they think may produce the most success at their school.
??They have several different programs, and whatever level of commitment you want to make you can,?? DeChellis says. ??When I came here, the level of commitment on my part increased because our basketball club had been so involved.??
A personal experience with cancer drives the coach??s passion for the cause, too. Specifically: --- His father, Richard, died of cancer when DeChellis was in graduate school. --- Two years ago, DeChellis himself had a malignant tumor removed from his body. --- In addition, his mother has been diagnosed with liver cancer.
Clearly, DeChellis, who wears a yellow Livestrong bracelet on his wrist, knows the power of cancer??both emotionally and physically.
??Every family probably has had someone or knows someone who has been impacted by cancer, and it??s more than just the disease itself,?? DeChellis says. ??When you??re under the CAT scan wondering what the doctor??s seeing, or when you??re waiting several hours or a whole weekend for test results, that??s a pretty helpless feeling.??
It??s just one of the feelings associated with cancer.
??When they tell you that you have a malignant tumor, or when they tell one of your parents ??There??s not much we can do for you,?? it just takes your breath away,?? DeChellis says. ??It??s like getting punched so hard in the stomach that it doubles you over.
??It takes all your energy, everything you have, just to handle the news. Then you have to compose yourself and figure out what??s next.??
Through Coaches vs. Cancer, DeChellis and the large group of volunteers at Penn State work to support those afflicted with and affected by cancer. They do that with efforts large and small, from the Penn State student group selling cups full of Hershey??s Kisses during home games at the Bryce Jordan Center to an the Annual CVC Celebrity Golf Tournament. In recent years a reverse car auction and fundraising gala at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park and car raffles at Beaver Stadium have contributed significant dollars. Today on the concourse fans can take part in the annual silent auction with lots of Penn State and area teams sports memorabilia to choose from.
In the past 10 years, the local group has raised more than $700,000, the majority of which remains in Centre County. The annual golf tournament provides the bulk of that money. It produced a record number of dollars and participants last summer with over 300 golfers participating, and plans for the next edition of the tournament?? June 8 at the Blue and White courses ??have been months in the making.
The tremendous support of Sheetz, Inc. as the tournament sponsor and the generous contributions of numerous sponsors in the community and the Centre Region helped generate over $140,000 for the cause last year ?C a record for the organization. It??s a long way from just over $16,000 raised in the first year of the event and organizers and sponsors are enthusiastically pursuing bigger goals.
The local Coaches vs. Cancer effort does more than raise money, though. A recently created fund also allows the group to determine needs in the Centre County area and then provide financial support to families for things ranging from travel expenses to mortgage payments.
??If a family needs a hotel room the night before a treatment at a hospital out of town, if they need help with living expenses, if they just need a little something extra to help them get through, that??s what it??s for,?? DeChellis says. ??When cancer hits a family, it??s not something you handle on your own. It affects everything and people just aren??t prepared for all it entails. We just try to help.??
To find out how you can contribute to the Coaches Vs. Cancer effort or enter the golf tournament please contact Kent Wible at (814) 278-6945 or visit www.cvcpennstate.org.