Coach Bruce Pearl leads program to advance care for cancer patients and their families

Supporters of the OUTLIVE Tennessee Fights to Beat Cancer program donated $130,000 to benefit cancer patients and their families at The University of Tennessee Medical Center Cancer Institute. University of Tennessee men’s athletic director Mike Hamilton presented the check for OUTLIVE to representatives of the Cancer Institute during halftime of the Kentucky at Tennessee basketball game at Thompson-Boling Arena.

“I really want to thank the Volunteer family for stepping up to help us raise money for this great cause,” said University of Tennessee basketball coach Bruce Pearl, who launched the OUTLIVE program. “With your help we can beat this!”

Special guests on the court for the OUTLIVE presentation included cancer survivor Rita Roth, several UT Medical Center Cancer Institute physicians and Kathleen and Frank Lofton, parents of cancer survivor and former UT star basketball player Chris Lofton. Following the 2007-2008 season, Lofton announced that he had fought and beaten testicular cancer. Lofton’s story inspired UT men’s basketball team graduate assistant Brooks Savage to create the OUTLIVE program in 2009. During the OUTLIVE presentation, fans also enjoyed a performance by Knoxville singing sensation Logan Murrell.

In 2009, the program raised more than $93,000, which the UT Medical Center Cancer Institute used to expand its community cancer education and screenings program, providing 2,500 cancer screenings to people throughout the Knoxville and East Tennessee region. This year, Coach Pearl announced a five-year plan to raise at least $1 million through OUTLIVE, which will go toward the expansion, renovation and construction of the facilities at The University of Tennessee Medical Center Cancer Institute.

“We are extremely grateful to Coach Pearl, Tennessee Athletics and all of our OUTLIVE sponsors and supporters for helping us in the fight against cancer,” said Dr. Dan Green, medical director of Radiation Oncology at The University of Tennessee Medical Center Cancer Institute. “We’ve heard words of encouragement from people all across our community and even throughout the country to let us know how excited they are to be a part of the OUTLIVE Tennessee Fights to Beat Cancer program. That enthusiasm is of tremendous help in raising awareness of cancer while the donations made to OUTLIVE will be used to directly benefit cancer patients and their families. It’s very rewarding to be a part of this effort.”

Dr. Green accepted the check from Hamilton on behalf of the UT Medical Center Cancer Institute. The check presentation coincided with the “orange-out” at Thompson-Boling Arena for cancer awareness, created by the majority of the fans in the sold-out arena wearing their OUTLIVE t-shirts. The t-shirts will remain available for purchase for one week following the UT versus Kentucky game at www.UToutlive.org and at area Walgreens stores. For more information about OUTLIVE or to make a donation, visit www.UToutlive.org or call the UT Medical Center Office of Development at 865.305.6611.

Sponsors of OUTLIVE Tennessee Fights to Beat Cancer include Bruce and Brandy Pearl, UT Athletics, Walgreens, Tennessee Traditions, Alumni Hall, Bacon & Co., Bandit Lites, The Vol Network, WVLT-VOLUNTEER TV, the Knoxville News-Sentinel, The Sports Animal, In10sity Interactive and Lamar Outdoor Advertising.

The Cancer Institute at The University of Tennessee Medical Center serves as the region’s only comprehensive cancer service that meets its patients’ needs in one location. Each year, the physicians, nurses and specialists at the UT Medical Center Cancer Institute diagnose and treat approximately 1,800 new cases of cancer and record more than 50,000 patient visits. The Cancer Institute provides access to numerous cancer specialists along with advanced technology and treatment options for cancer patients. Patients also are offered the opportunity to participate in an array of oncology clinical trials.