Lady Tigers and PMAC decked out in Pink for a great cause

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LSU's win over Vanderbilt was important to the Lady Tigers in building their post-season resume. But it also was their annual Pink Zone game which saw the both teams, fans, cheerleaders and the band decked out in pink -- even Mike the Tiger got in on the action.

The WBCA Pink Zone initiative is a global, unified effort for the WBCA's nation of coaches to assist in raising breast cancer awareness on the court, across campuses, in communities and beyond. The window set aside for this year's initiative is February 12-21. The WBCA's charity of choice is the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund®, in partnership with The V Foundation.

Donations were accepted at the game benefitting the Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Donors could pledge a chosen amount for each point scored by the Lady Tigers or they could donate a flat amount that they saw fit
 
Admission for LSU students was free of charge with a valid LSU ID. LSU women's basketball will donate $1 to Baton Rouge area cancer research for each LSU student in attendance on Thursday night. LSU associate head coach Bob Starkey had also announced that he and his wife Sherie, a breast cancer survivor, are donating $1 to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure for every LSU student in attendance at Thursday's game.

 

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Posted by Bill Martin  

Pink Zone Game donation plans announced

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BATON ROUGE -- LSU women’s basketball will recognize breast cancer awareness on Thursday, Feb. 18 when the Lady Tigers host Vanderbilt in the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association “Pink Zone Game” at 7 p.m. CST in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. The game will be televised live by Fox Sports Net South/Southwest.

Fans attending the game are encouraged to wear pink as the LSU Athletics Department will recognize local breast cancer survivors in a special halftime “Parade of Survivors.”

To participate in the parade, survivors are asked to complete the online form at LSUsports.net. The deadline to apply is Wednesday, Feb. 17, at noon CST. Honorees will be notified as soon as possible after they are selected.

Admission for LSU students is free of charge with a valid LSU ID. LSU women’s basketball will donate $1 to Baton Rouge area cancer research for each LSU student in attendance on Sunday. Students are reminded that it is a student-point game.

LSU associate head coach Bob Starkey also announced that he and his wife Sherie, a breast cancer survivor, will donate $1 to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure for every LSU student in attendance at Thursday’s game.

Donations will be accepted at the game benefitting the Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Donors may pledge a chosen amount for each point scored by the Lady Tigers or they can donate a flat amount that they see fit. There will be four donation locations on the concourse of the Maravich Center.

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Posted by Bill Martin  

Allison a finalist for Lowe's Senior CLASS Award

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OVERLAND PARK, Kan. -- LSU senior guard Allison Hightower has been named one of 10 national finalists for the 2009-10 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award for NCAA women's basketball, which recognizes excellence both on and off the court, it was announced Wednesday afternoon.

To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence - classroom, character, community and competition.

Nationwide balloting begins immediately and concludes March 22 to determine the winner. Fan balloting will be available on the award's official Web site, www.seniorCLASSaward.com, as well as through text messaging. Fans can text WBBALL to 74567 to vote for women's finalists.

These votes will be combined with votes from coaches and media to determine the recipient of the award.

An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in SchoolTM, the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities. The finalists were chosen by a media committee from the list of 30 women's candidates who were announced in October.

"It's an honor to be considered a finalist for such a great award because it also takes into account what you do in the community and in school and not just on the court," Hightower said. "We've always been proud of what we do in the community as Lady Tigers. To have the fans involved in the voting is great because they are the ones who see us not only out on the court but in school visits and community service projects."

Read Bill Martin's entire article at: http://bit.ly/aAodTE

VOTE FOR ALLISON EACH DAY AT:

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Lady Tigers Work GPA Program On Day Off

This past Monday was a day off from basketball practice so the majority of the team decided to visit their schools that had adopted them as part of our GPA (Goals, Perseverance, Achievement) Program.

KATHERINE GRAHAM:
As you all may know we are partnering with some schools in the East Baton Rouge Parish schools doing a GPA program. Well on Monday Feb. 2, I had the privilege of visiting my school again. Like any other visit I was greeted with a smile form all the students and staff! My first stop was in a First grade class where they had many questions, and were eager for me to read a book to them. I enjoyed the book as well because I was able to become a child again. I'm not sure of the exact name of the book, but it was a spin off of the "Three Little Pigs" story. However, it was the Wolf's version. It was quite interesting to see the other side of the story. After I left that class I went to visit the rest of the first grade classes and some Kindergarten classes (during nap time) I wish they had those in college! The purpose of this visit was to remind the students of Woodlawn Elementary to come support us on February 8 as we face Ole Miss, and also to encourage them to continue their success in the classroom. Until next time Lady Tiger fans!

LASONDRA BARRETT:
Today at Scottlandville Elementary school I reminded the students about our Bookmark Game, in which they received two tickets to our game Sunday against Ole Miss. The tickets were given to each student to promote education and learning within our GPA program throughout the East Baton Rouge Parish schools. Also, I paid a visit to the kindergarten classes to read them a Dr. Seuss book about exercising and living healthy. Afterward, I went to each class to remind them about the importance of getting an education, staying in school, and coming to see the Lady Tigers play Sunday!!

JASMINE NELSON:
Today Boogie and I visited Scottlanville Elementary. I had lots of fun with those kids. From the time we walked in the door they smiled ear to ear. We sat and read a Dr. Seuss book to the kindergartens and we went around and reminded the other grades about their free tickets Sunday to come out and enjoy the game against Ole Miss. The kids were well behaved and respectful. They answered "yes ma'am" to everything that was said from the teachers and us. That really impressed me the most.

SWAYZE BLACK:
Today I took a visit to LaSalle Elementary to catch up with my group of kids. Once I arrived I was told I would be in the gym assisting the PE coach in various activities but once I got to the gym I only watched the kids compete in different races. I also cheered them on and gave a few pointers on how they could win. It was really fun watching the kids have such a good time. They really enjoyed my company and asked me to join in on their PE games on my next visit. I can't wait!

TAYLOR BOOZE:
Today Taylor Turnbow and myself visited a local middle school here in baton rouge. We got a chance to speak with all the young teens and tell them all about our program and answered any questions they had for us. My most memorable part of the day was when we were able to talk with the boys basketball team whose record is now 0-4! We just tried to give them some encouraging thoughts and told them to keep practicing and playing together. They really seemed to enjoy our talk and hopefully they can pull out a win next game! It was fun to put a smile on all their faces and I hope they enjoyed it as much as I did!

ERICA WILLIAMS:
It's always a joy visiting at Brookstown. Today I got to get a little up close and personal with a group of kids sharing stories and answering many good questions. We got a little game of free throws in girls vs. boys. (of course the girls won) Today was really exciting, I can't wait to go back to see what they've been up to.

ANDREA KELLY:
Today I was not only able to visit Winbourne, the school I usually attend, but another school with Erica and Tia. The group of kids we talked to was a 4th grade p.e. class of about 15 boys and girls. The class challenged the three of us to a free throw contest and for every shot they missed they had to run a lap around the court. We didn't shoot, instead the boys went against the girls and let's just say collectively the number of laps were up to 13...but they didn't have to run them because Erica knocked them off by shooting some free throws too:) After that we all sat down close to each other and their coach encouraged them to use this opportunity to ask questions they wouldn't be able to ask in a big crowd. They all had great questions and we shared some laughs with each other while at the same time telling them the importance of having a great attitude and conduct. One girl in particular expressed how she has dreams of one day becoming a nurse and it was a joy to give her some knowledge about that because medicine is the field I want to go in.

 

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Thanks CHAMPS For Making Christmas Special to Some Deserving Young People

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BOB STARKEY (9-6-09):

Each Christmas season, the Shaquille O'Neal CHAMPS Life/Skills Program puts on "Christmas with the Tigers." Mike Mallet and his staff do an amazing job of putting this together and I hope you read the article below to understand what this project is all about. From our end, Mike and his staff provide our team with a child and wish list for Christmas. Our players then pool their own money and purchase the gifts. Mike and his staff then throw a beautiful Christmas party for all the teams to present their children with the presents. This year our team went above and beyond and purchased everything on the list including clothes, toys and a bike. Our team was definitely in the Christmas spirit in making sure our honored guest, Chantell Johnson had a great Christmas. Our hats our off to Mike, Jade Jenkins and everyone that makes this special event happen!


by Jesse Delerno, Student Assistant SID
As the holiday season approaches, many parents in the Baton Rouge community will start dashing to local toy stores and shopping malls in search of presents to pack underneath the Christmas tree for their children. But, not all families will be fortunate enough to provide gifts for their kids.

However, each year all 20 LSU sports teams come together for CHAMPS’ annual ‘Christmas with the Tigers’ event to bring joy to underprivileged children who may not have the opportunity to open gifts on Christmas morning. Each squad adopts a child, buys presents off his or her wish list and gives them to the child at the function, which will be held Tuesday, Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. (CST) in the Bo Campbell Auditorium.

LSU Athletics began hosting a charitable Christmas event more than 10 years ago when current Associate Athletic Director for Student Services Miriam Segar worked with the CHAMPS/Life Skills program, and it continues to flourish under the leadership of Director of Student Affairs Mike Mallet.

“Miriam started this event back when she was with the CHAMPS program,” Mallet said. “They used to go to various places (to host the event), but when I took over, I decided we could have something here since we have the Auditorium where it wouldn’t put a lot of strain on the kids. All of the people from the SAAC community said let’s do it here, and we just called it ‘Christmas with the Tigers.’”

Mallet and his staff work closely each year with a different charity that locates less fortunate families who are in need of help during the holiday season. This year his office is working with local group, Society St. Vincent de Paul and its homeless shelter. But, the CHAMPS director believes the key to the event’s continued success is the contributions of the student-athletes who he encourages to embrace the spirit of giving.

“It’s a very joyous occasion and also a very fulfilling one, especially when you get young people involved so they can understand the thing about giving,” Mallet added. “One of the things I tell a lot of these guys is that they owe it to themselves to do something for the community. The community supports them in more ways than they think.”

Mallet has his fair share of memorable moments from the past few years. He recalled one occasion when a four-year-old girl was so happy to be receiving a bicycle, she began weeping and riding it across the stage. In his mind, seeing such raw emotions and signs of jubilance are what make Christmas with the Tigers so special.

“You see parents with a smile on their faces,” Mallet said. “You see the people who are responsible for these families, and they are very appreciative. They know the joys that these young people have, especially when they are in a shelter and don’t have anything. As sad as it may seem, this is one occasion that they all just have a good time.”

 

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Posted by Bill Martin  

Meek and others dedicated to player/improving year round

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Nice article in SLAM Online on the dedication of professional women's basketball players that play year around and travel the world to do including a quote from our own Temeka Johnson:


Even more remarkable, is that their courageous sacrifices aren’t being talked about. WNBA players simply accept this as part of their lives and don’t make a big deal out of it. The vast majority of players have a humbleness inside them and feel extremely fortunate even to have the opportunity to play overseas. Not only does it speak to the incomparable work ethic of these ladies, but also to their immense love of the sport.

“To be honest, when you still have that burning desire for the game and the love for it is still strong in you, there is no such thing as too much basketball,” Temeka Johnson said. “You are thrilled to be able to what you love to do, continue to entertain those that love to watch you play, and the passion and desire of getting better drives you even more.”

Read the entire article: http://bit.ly/6c04PL

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LSU Staff Becomes Holiday Helpers

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COACH LANDERS (11--25-09):

Our staff is "thankful" today to volunteer with Holiday Helpers Inc. This is an amazing organization that puts on three major events each year, at Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. Today our staff helped serve meals at the 23rd Annual "Thanksgiving Together" at the Baton Rouge River Center. There was such a great spirit there from everyone at the River Center and it was a huge crowd of volunteers and participants. One ironic story is that Coach Starkey had told us last night on the bus ride back from Tulane was that Seimone Augustus would always volunteer to help at this event, even when she was in high school. So who do you think showed up today? Seimone and her parents! Obviously, the Augustus family cares greatly about the Baton Rouge community. Our staff hopes that wherever you might be that you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

 

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Meek Giving HOPE

A great article in the Times-Picayune by Ryan Chatelain on Temeka Johnson and her HOPE Foundation:
 

"I think it's important for the kids to know that being a star athlete is not all about the glamour," said Johnson, who won an award from the WNBA in June for her community work and currently is playing in Israel. "I want to be visible enough for them to see that you still have to be a human. You still have to have great character. You still have to be a role model. It's not about the nice cars and the nice rims and all that kind of stuff.

"Plus, I'm from the exact same environment they're from, and I want them to see that you can make it."

Each year, the foundation "adopts" a school. Johnson meets with educators to learn about the school's needs, then raises money to address those shortcomings. Last month, the foundation adopted Washington Montessori School in Kenner.

Johnson's grandmother, Jewel Johnson, who died of cancer in 2008, inspired Temeka Johnson's work with schools. Jewel Johnson was a longtime teacher at Washington, and HOPE named its four scholarships in her honor.

"Education is important, and the kids of today are really our future," Johnson said. "It seems like the education system is falling and dropping lower and lower each year, and kids are not caring about education as much. So I just want to do anything that I can to express the importance of education."

Read the entire article: http://bit.ly/8Jnkkz

 

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Tia visits University Terrace Elementary

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TIA EASON (9-24-09):
Hey Tiger Fans! I visited University Terrace Elementary School and the kids were amazing. I talked to them about the importance of education, to show respect to teachers and peers, and if you dream big you have to work hard. I talked to 1st graders and 3rd graders and I just wanted to let them know that impossible is nothing that they could do whatever they wanted in life if they just believed they could and worked hard. I love to have an impact on people lives in general but I was really excited to interact with the kids they were a lot of fun.

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A Special Day With Special Olympics

TOM HARLUCOWICZ (11-23-09):

Saturday’s Lady Tiger game versus Houston was an important game in and of itself but was also very important because it was Special Olympics Day at the Maravich Center. LSU had the chance to host a number of athletes, coaches, volunteers and friends of Special Olympics Louisiana and it turned out to be great day.

Seventeen Special Olympic athletes who participate in basketball were involved in the pregame ball exchange, which is a Lady Tiger gameday tradition. Additionally, three other athletes were recognized at timeouts for their individual accomplishments. Also, halftime featured an exhibition basketball game between two teams that drew cheers from the crowd for the athlete’s tremendous ability. Special Olympics Louisiana President and CEO Pat Carpenter Bourgeois sat on the team bench and served as guest coach for the game as well.

It certainly was a pleasure to have the members of Special Olympics Louisiana at the game this past Saturday and the Lady Tigers look forward to becoming more involved with their program.

 

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Posted by Bill Martin