“Let it Kick You Forward” and Health Promotion: Coach Kay as a Hero in Cancer Fundraising

Health promotion sporting events have increased fundraising and promoting awareness for many conditions. While a variety of causes are connected to sports via Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), those linked to a specific person can bring even more attention. In women’s college basketball, the annual Play4Kay games are held honoring the late Coach Kay Yow to fundraise for breast cancer research and education. In this essay, I examine how the February 5, 2024 television broadcast of the Play4Kay game between Louisville and North Carolina State University uses Coach Kay Yow as a heroic figure for health promotion. This game emphasizes the connected values of success in basketball, inner strength, early testing for breast cancer, and finding a cure. This textual analysis examines game coverage which uses connected values to promote support for the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. The broadcast of the game emphasizes the legacy of Coach Yow, the tyranny of cheerfulness, the mission of the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, and how we fundraise in sporting events.