West Lafayette and Lafayette Jeff girls basketball unite for Coaches vs. Cancer game
LAFAYETTE — West Lafayette junior Ellie Wilcoxson stood at attention beaming with pride wearing a pink shirt that bore the name of her mother Laura.
Wilcoxson was joined by her 10 teammates and her head coach Jane Schott who wore the names of people who fought battles with different forms of cancer and mental illness.
Joining West Lafayette to celebrate the Coaches vs. Cancer event was Lafayette Jeff players who wore similar t-shirts.
Wilcoxson's eyes watered up thinking about Laura who works as a counselor at Tecumseh Middle School. Laura was diagnosed with breast cancer before Ellie was born.
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"She's just so special to me and I want to honor her in any way possible," Wilcoxson said.
West Lafayette and Harrison came together to raise donations for Riley's Children Foundation in Indianapolis.
Schott reflected on a former player she honored after West Lafayette won the contest 72-36. The player's name was Karen Bahler who played for Schott at Harrison High School and graduated in 2005.
Bahler had been a registered nurse at IU Health Bloomington Hospital before passing away from breast cancer in August 2023.
"I wanted to put her on my back because anything we can do to fight for people like that, I'm glad we were able to do something," Schott said.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: West Lafayette and Lafayette Jeff girls basketball unite for Coaches vs. Cancer game
