Kay Yow Cancer Fund prepares for Celebration Run/Walk for women's cancers

Jan. 31, 2026, marks the 10th annual Kay Yow Cancer Fund Celebration Run/Walk, a community event honoring cancer survivors, caregivers and families. Coach Kay Yow, the legendary NC State women's basketball coach, passed away in 2009 after more than two decades battling breast cancer.
Posted 1/15/2026, 4:02:00 PM Updated 1/15/2026, 10:27:08 PM

>> THE FDA ALSO RECENTLY

APPROVED AN AT-HOME TEST KIT.

>> IT'S ALMOST TIME FOR THE

10TH ANNUAL KAY YOW CANCER

FUND. THE CELEBRATION RUN WALK

A COMMUNITY EVENT HONORING

SURVIVORS, CAREGIVERS AND

FAMILIES COACH KAY YOW, THE

LEGENDARY NC STATE WOMEN'S

BASKETBALL COACH PASSED AWAY

IN 2009 AFTER MORE THAN 2

DECADES BATTLING CANCER, ONE OF

HER FINAL WISHES WAS TO CREATE

A FUND TO HELP WOMEN FIGHTING

ALL CANCERS. JOINING US IS THIS

YEAR'S HONORARY CHAIR. MINDY

SO FOR AND MINDY IS ALSO A

CANCER SURVIVOR HERSELF AS

WELL, YOU'RE AGAIN, A CANCER

SURVIVOR YOURSELF. TELL US

BRIEFLY ABOUT YOUR CANCER

JOURNEY.

IT'S ACTUALLY A VERY CLOSELY

ASSOCIATED WITH COMING TO NC

STATE TO TAKE.

>> MY JOB AS FRATERNITY AND

SORORITY LIFE DIRECTOR, I WAS

ASKED IN THE INTERVIEW, WHAT

ONE THING YOU COULD TELL ME

THAT WOOD. KEEP YOU FROM BEING

SUCCESSFUL AND WANT TO COME

HERE IN NC STATE. AND I SO I

KNOW, BUT IT'S THE STATE

THROUGH COACH OUT AND WOMEN'S

BASKETBALL. I WAS AN ATHLETIC

ACADEMIC ADVISOR. I SAID MY

BODY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO KEEP

UP WITH WHAT MY MY NOSE NEEDS

TO HAPPEN. 9 MONTHS PART MEAN.

ONE MONTH LATER, CANCER

DIAGNOSIS. IT'S IN MY FAMILY.

BOTH GRANDPARENTS, 3

GRANDPARENTS, MY MOM AND MY

DAD ALL PASSED AWAY FROM

CANCER. AND I HAVE LOTS OF

FRIENDS WHO HAVE JOINED THAT

CLUB.

I'VE HAD IT SINCE 1999 OFF AND

ON. AND I WAS JUST DIAGNOSED

WITH CANCERS. COME BACK.

I JUST GOT THE DIAGNOSIS ON

TUESDAY. SO WE'RE GOING TO DO

THE MASTECTOMY AND KEEP

PLUGGING ON. KEEP IT THANKS TO

COACH. YEAH, I'M A DRIVER, NOT

JUST A SURVIVOR THAT YOU ARE

AND WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO BE A

PART OF THE KAY YOW CANCER

FUND? WELL, I DID MEET HER

DURING FINAL 4 WHEN MY OLD

DOMINION TEAM WAS PLAYING

AGAINST NC STATE ON A ROAD TO

THE FINAL 4. AND SHE WAS AN

INSPIRATION. THEN AS A LEADER,

A MENTOR. AND AND I LIFE COACH

FOR THOSE YOUNG WOMEN.

LOVE WHAT SHE'S DONE ON THE

COURT. LOVE WHAT SHE'S DONE

IN THE COMMUNITY AND HONESTLY,

CAN IT PEOPLE DON'T DO THINGS

USUALLY LESS. YOU ASK THEM.

SO ONE OF MY STUDENTS SAID

WANTED TO COME UNLOCK WITH ME

AT THE CHAOS CANCER FUND.

THE REST IS HISTORY. I TEACH A

NONPROFIT LEADERSHIP COURSE OF

MY STUDENTS HAVE BEEN INVOLVED

AND I DIE TECHNICALLY RETIRED

LAST JULY AND THE FOLKS AT THE

KF CANCER FUND THAT I WORKED

WITH FOR SO LONG, MANY STUDENTS

GREAT PEOPLE SAID YOU MUST BE A

REALLY BORED. SO WHY DON'T YOU

COME ALONG AND HELP US IS THE

CHAIR.

>> SO I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY

TO DO THAT. GOT A LOT OF FORMER

STUDENTS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS

ENGAGED, LOVE IT. GOOD PEOPLE.

THE WORK THEY DO IS FABULOUS.

AND I WANT TO BE PART OF THAT.

THAT'S AWESOME. COACH YOW BE

PROUD THAT WE HAD TO TREATMENT

TOGETHER AT ONE POINT IN TIME,

TOO. AND WE HAD A COUPLE OF

THEIR OPPORTUNITIES TO INTERACT

AND SHE INSPIRES ME HER FAITH.

HER VISION AND HER CARE FOR

HER PEOPLE. WHAT A LEGACY.

>> WILL THE FUND HAS RAISED

ABOUT 9.5 MILLION DOLLARS.

THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY. WHAT'S

THAT SUPPORT MEAN AND HOW DOES

IT HELP OTHERS?

>> I FIND OUT NEW THINGS EVERY

DAY, BUT WE DO. THE FUND DOES

RESEARCH TO HELP CARE CANCERS

FOR WOMEN AND THEN ALSO DO A

LOT OF EDUCATION. AND YOU'LL

SEE SOME OF THAT AT THE RUN.

WALK A LOT OF OUTREACH TO

SCHOOLS IN THE COMMUNITIES AND

THEY REALLY PROVIDE

OPPORTUNITIES FOR UNDERSERVED

WOMEN.

>> TO GAIN ACCESS TO CARE.

AND THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.

>> AND THIS IS A CELEBRATION

MORE AS A RACE RIGHT NOW.

THE COMPETITION YESTERDAY AND

IN YOUR EXPECTING MORE THAN

700 PARTICIPANTS, INCLUDING

YOU. WHAT CAN PEOPLE EXPECT

OUT THERE ON THE DAY OF THE IS

GOING TO BE A CELEBRATION?

YOU KNOW, I'M GETTING GOOSE

BUMPS JUST THINKING ABOUT IT.

IT'S FRIENDS AND FAMILY.

IT'S

>> A LOVING ON EACH OTHER.

AND FOR EVERYONE WHO'S THERE

AND EVERYONE WHO'S GONE ON

BEFORE US, WE'RE GOING TO

CELEBRATE THEIR IMPACT IN LIFE.

WE'RE GOING TO CELEBRATE WHAT

COACH AL HE'S DONE AND WHAT THE

FUND IS DONE TO BRING US CLOSER

TO ENDING THE DISEASE IS OF

CANCER FOR WOMEN.

>> AND SO YOU HAVE A LOT OF

PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO WANT TO

GET INVOLVED. YOU DO IF AND

COME HOME. OUR WEBSITE KARK

ANSWER FUND IS UP. YOU CAN

DONATE VERY EASILY WITH ONE

LITTLE CLICK. YOU CAN JOIN THE

COMMITTEE. YOU CAN'T COME OUT

AND HAVE A SET UP. YOU CAN COME

EAT GOOD FOOD AND WAVE YOUR

PINK FLAGS AND PUT UP SIGNS AND

>> LOVE ON PEOPLE WHO ARE

THRIVING AND SURVIVING WITH

CANCER AND GIVE THEM HOPE.

ALSO, MINDY, WHAT YOU ARE DOING

IS WONDERFUL. THANK YOU SO

MUCH. WE ARE CHEERING FOR YOU.

AND THE FIGHT CONTINUES.

YOU BET. AND GO BACK ALL RIGHT.

THE 10TH ANNUAL KAY YOW CANCER

FUND, A CELEBRATION RUN WALK

WILL TAKE PLACE SATURDAY,

JANUARY 31ST.

>> AT 09:00AM AT THE WAKE MED

SOCCER PARK IN CARY REGISTER