Athletics, UI Cancer Center team up for basketball game, concert

The UI Cancer Center and UIC men’s basketball team may be from opposite sides of campus, but the two will come together Feb. 24 to raise awareness and provide resources for a good cause — all with a lineup that promises some fun.

Called the U and I vs. Cancer Basketball Game and Concert, the event will take place at the Credit Union 1 Arena, 525 South Racine Avenue.

A community resource fair with family-friendly activities and the UI Cancer Center and other cancer groups will start the day at 2:15 p.m., before the Flames go head-to-head at a much-anticipated game versus the Milwaukee Panthers at 3:12 p.m. A concert featuring up-and-coming artists and Chicago natives will take place after; performers include rappers KAMI and Ric Wilson and international DJ Jukie Tha-Kidd. Cancer survivors will be recognized and have a chance to share their stories.

“The aim here is to bring the UIC campus together, east and west campus, and have a platform where we can bring together sports, music and health, and in this case, around cancer, to have a day where we can learn, celebrate life, and be unified around one thing,” said Davyd Chung, executive director of research and strategic operations for the UI Cancer Center.

The center hopes to share information about the cancer care continuum, resources available to the public, and UIC’s goal of achieving National Cancer Institute-designation, a status obtained only by the top cancer centers in the nation.

“There’s just a great level of prevention and cancer care services that people aren’t aware of,” Chung said.

As a partner, athletics wants to broaden the event’s reach, giving guests a chance to get fired up about their Division I Athletics team while changing lives in the process.

“The focus really is making sure that cancer awareness is predominant so that people know everybody is impacted by cancer, unfortunately,” said Ryan Ptak, assistant athletic director of marketing and tickets. “So keeping it in people’s minds is always a great message that we can have to help early detection and prevention.”

Tickets are $3.12, not including service charges, when buyers use the code FAMILY. Proceeds will make free tickets and group transportation to over 1,000 youths and families from the Chicago community possible.