BENNINGTON, Vt. – The Southern Vermont College and Elms College men’s basketball teams are teaming up with the American Cancer Society (ACS) to celebrate Coaches vs. Cancer Suits and Sneakers Awareness Weekend this coming Saturday, January 25 at the Mountaineer Athletic Center.

During the Mountaineers’ game with New England Collegiate Conference foe Elms (4 p.m.), coaches on both benches will be sporting their tennis shoes in conjunction with their formal game attire to help raise awareness and support for the American Cancer Society and the Coaches vs. Cancer initiative.

Donations will be accepted throughout the day at the MAC, and people can also go online to make a tax deductible donation with a credit card through the ACS secured website.

“We are honored to take part in a great event and help such a worthy cause,” commented SVC head coach Dan Engelstad. “I’ve been lucky to participate in this weekend since I began coaching. It’s a little piece we can do to bring awareness to a great program, and it helps us appreciate what we have, especially our opportunity to be involved with basketball on a daily basis.”

The Coaches vs. Cancer program empowers coaches, their teams, and communities to join the fight against cancer by participating in awareness efforts, advocacy programs, and fundraising activities to help people with cancer today and to find cures to end the disease tomorrow. Guided by the Coaches vs. Cancer Council, participating coaches have helped raise more than $87 million to help the American Cancer Society save lives by helping people stay well and get well, by finding cures, and by fighting back against cancer.

Southern Vermont and Elms will take the court following the Mountaineer Alumni Game slated to start at 1 p.m.