University of Wisconsin men’s basketball coach Bo Ryan’s arm was a little sore after spending five hours shaking hands and posing for pictures with the 2,090 students who showed up for Thursday’s “Shooting Down Cancer” event at the Kohl Center.
But Ryan wasn’t complaining, especially after a strong showing that led to he and his wife Kelly donating $66,130 to Coaches vs. Cancer/American Cancer Society
The Ryan family donated $1 for every student who showed up, $10 for every free throw made and $1,000 for every made half-court shot. There were 504 made free throws and 59 made half-courters.
“We’ve got to be the best half-court shooting school in the country,” Ryan quipped.
The event, which began at 3 p.m., ran nearly an hour past its scheduled ending time of 7 p.m. Students who didn't have time to wait in line to shoot on the Kohl Center floor were given the option of taking their shots at the adjacent Nicholas-Johnson Pavillion.
Ryan spent the entire time thanking students after they finished shooting.
“Just how nice the kids are,” Ryan said of what stood out most about the event. “People tell me the people they know, their brothers and sisters, that have cancer. They’re thanking me and I’m thanking them for making the effort. You’ve just got to be standing here and listening to it – these kids are great. It just reinforces what I’ve always thought: This is a pretty good school for a lot of reasons.”
Most of Ryan's players helped out at the event, rebounding missed shots and handing basketballs to the shooters as they rotated from the free throw station to the half-court station. It was clear they were glad to help and moved by cancer's impact on those who participated.
Badgers sophomore Sam Dekker shared via Twitter the story of meeting a young woman whose father has been battling cancer.
"Met a wonderful girl named (Lexi Mueller) tonight at the Shooting Down Cancer event and shared this (lime green) wristband with me," Dekker wrote. "Her dad is going through lymphoma and asked that I'd wear this for her. Hopefully you all can keep her family and everyone affected by cancer in your prayers!"
On her Instagram account, Mueller wrote: "(Wednesday) we found out my dad is DONE with chemo and ready to start radiation! Today we #ShotDownCancer and gave Bo his very own lime green lymphoma bracelet as he donated over $66,000 in cancer research!! So blessed to go to school at @uwmadison!!!"
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