Pat Kenney
Campus News Editor
We have all played it before. Whether it was during those agonizing elementary gym classes, after practice, or in the driveway with some buddies, it has affected us all.
It is no small task. Having to keep your eyes on the enemy in back of you while trying to eliminate the enemy just ahead of you. Many will fail, and only one will be crowned the king of the court.
Knockout is the game where, in a blink of an eye, friends become your enemies and no person can be trusted. On Sunday, Dec. 8, the Event Management class is bringing Knocking to Springfield College, but it won’t be just any kind of game.
“We are trying to break the current world record of 571 [people] for the [largest] knockout game ever,” said Kyle Andolina, a member of the Event Management class. “We want to make it into the Guinness Book of World Records.”
And you thought your gym class of 25 students was a long game.
Taking place at 1 p.m. that Sunday in Blake Arena, the game will be free, but donations will be accepted, as they will be going to the Jimmy V Foundation for Cancer Research.
Twenty years ago, Jim Valvano – the head coach of the North Carolina State men’s basketball team at the time – and ESPN came together after Valvano was diagnosed with cancer, and formed the Jimmy V Foundation.
Cancer is one of the leading causes of death throughout the world, with one out of every two men and one out of every three women being diagnosed with cancer in his or her lifetime.
The number of new cancer patients is expected to double to 2.6 million by the year 2050, making the quest for a cure all the more important.
Finding a cure to cancer, like millions around the world, was Valvano’s dream, and his foundation continues to research and inch closer to a cure. Propelled by the memory of Valvano, who passed away in 1993 at the age of 47, and his words of wisdom, “Don’t give up…don’t ever give up,” the foundation has raised millions every year since its inception.
“It is really [important] for students to get involved and donate to a great cause,” stated Michelle Jendrysik, a member of the Event Management class. “Whether it’s a dollar or 10 dollars, any [donation] can help.”
Donations are important to keep foundations like the Jimmy V Foundation going and events like the Knockout game are great ways to spread the word about a great cause.
The Knockout game is open to anyone and everyone who wants to be a part of history and bring the world record to the Birthplace of Basketball.