Kansas Basketball Coach Bill Self Launches Foundation

Oct. 13, 2006

LAWRENCE, Kan. –

Bill Self, Head Basketball Coach at The University of Kansas, is excited to host the “3 Day ASSIST”, the inaugural fundraising effort for his newly formed foundation, ASSISTS. Ten friends will spend an action-packed weekend on October 13, 14 and 15 as ASSISTants to Coach Self. The festivities will begin on Friday with Media Day activities that include team pictures, interviews, and a press conference. Each of the ten participants will also serve as coaches on the bench at “Late Night”, the first official basketball practice of the year.

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Saturday, following a morning practice session, the ASSISTants will attend the Kansas vs. Oklahoma State football game and be a part of the ESPN pre-game festivities. The day will wrap up with a private dinner party at the Self home. On Sunday they will brunch at a local country club and cap off the weekend by cheering on former KU players Nick Collison and Kirk Hinrich at the Chicago Bulls-Seattle Supersonics NBA exhibition game at Allen Fieldhouse.

“Throughout my career I’ve had the opportunity to meet and interact with thousands of young people from around the world and I’ve has observed the difference that caring adults, adequate education and accessible athletic facilities make in their lives” stated Coach Self. “The opportunity to raise some money to help improve the lives of our youth is what led me to create ASSISTS” Self said in conclusion.

The mission of ASSISTS is to help provide young people access to better lives. This will be accomplished by identifying specific areas of need and working with established community-based institutions to provide creative and lasting solutions.

ASSISTS and Bill Self wish to thank the generous friends and enthusiastic partners who are a part of this inaugural fundraising event: Jim and Fern Badzin, Fred Ball and his son, David, Jack and Candy Clevenger, Tom and Janie Grant, Tom and Julie Kivisto, Kent McCarthy and his father Charles, Dean Piearson and his wife Cheryl Womack, Bill Prichard and his daughter Jane, Miles and Paula Schnaer, Dr. Lance and Molly Snyder, Adidas and Miller Distribution of Kansas.