$10,000 Donated to the Pat Summitt Foundation in On-Court Presentation
SPRINGFIELD, MA – Widely regarded as the two most successful programs in women’s basketball, UConn and Tennessee faced off this evening in the Basketball Hall of Fame’s Revival Series. As a historic rivalry, the teams consistently met from 1995-2007, but have not faced each other since, prior to tonight. The momentous game served as a celebration of women’s basketball with a portion of the proceeds benefitting the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Pat Summitt Foundation.
Shortly after Hall of Fame Coach Pat Summitt's diagnosis in August of 2011, the foundation was formed with a mission to award grants to non-profit organizations that advance research for treatment and cure for Alzheimer's disease. Upon inception, The Pat Summitt Foundation pledged $2.5 million dollars to the Summitt Clinic and in 2019 the Foundation awarded grants up to $250,000 for caregiver support programs. The first Coach to financially support the Foundation was Geno Auriemma.
Tonight, the University of Connecticut presented a $10,000 donation to the Pat Summitt Foundation in an on-court presentation featuring head coaches from both UConn and Tennessee - Hall of Famer Geno Auriemma and Tennessee’s Kellie Harper, along with President and CEO of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame John Doleva and UConn Athletic Director David Benedict. The check was received by Joan Cronan, Pat Summitt Foundation Board Chair, as well as Sunny Biden and Adam Waller from The Pat Summitt Foundation. Additionally, UConn will auction off its black uniforms worn tonight with proceeds going to the Pat Summitt Foundation.
The series will continue in the 2020-21 season, when the Lady Vols will host the Huskies in Knoxville, with a portion of the proceeds again benefitting the Pat Summitt Foundation and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, as well as the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.
About Pat Summitt Foundation:
The Pat Summitt Foundation, a fund of East Tennessee Foundation, was established by Pat and Tyler Summitt in November 2011. Its mission is to award grants to non-profit organizations that advance research for treatment and a cure, provide support for patients and caregivers, and educate the public about Alzheimer’s disease. In 2015, The Pat Summitt Foundation formed a strategic partnership with The University of Tennessee Medical Center to create The Pat Summitt Clinic. The clinic, which opened in January 2017, greatly improves access to healthcare services for families and patients facing Alzheimer’s disease in a facility created to advance Alzheimer’s research, detection, treatment, and family caregiver support. To learn more, please visit www.patsummitt.org, like the foundation on facebook.com/patsummittfoundation, and follow it on Twitter and Instagram @webackpat.
About the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame:
Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the city where basketball was born, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an independent non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting, preserving and celebrating the game of basketball at every level – men and women, amateur and professional players, coaches and contributors, both domestically and internationally. The Hall of Fame museum is home to more than 400 inductees and over 40,000 square feet of basketball history. Nearly 200,000 people visit the Hall of Fame museum each year to learn about the game, experience the interactive exhibits and test their skills on the Jerry Colangelo "Court of Dreams." Best known for its annual marquee Enshrinement Ceremony honoring the game’s elite, the Hall of Fame also operates over 70 high school and collegiate competitions annually throughout the country and abroad. For more information on the Basketball Hall of Fame organization, its museum and events, visit www.hoophall.com, follow @hoophall #HOFBenefit or call 1-877-4HOOPLA.