KU Women's Basketball Team Spreads Holiday Cheer At Hospital

Dec. 17, 2004

Lawrence, Kan. — The University of Kansas women’s basketball team spread a little Jayhawk holiday cheer Friday, Dec. 17, at Lawrence Memorial Hospital, where team members visited with patients and gave away T-shirts, posters and other KU gear to patients.

First year coach Bonnie Henrickson led the team in its 12th year of participating in the Crimson and Blue Holiday Project. Each year, the KU Office of Trademark Licensing collects donations of licensed KU merchandise for distribution during the event.

This year, more than 1,000 items with an estimated retail value of $10,000 were collected, according to Paul Vander Tuig, KU’s licensingadministrator.

“I see the project as an opportunity for the university to give something back to the community by working with the women’s basketball team on this effort,” Vander Tuig said. “Each year, the expression you see on patients’ faces when they are given an item by a coach or team member makes it all worthwhile.”

Team members handed out posters, T-shirts, playing cards, hats and sweatshirts to hospital patients.

KU’s licensing program collects fees from manufacturers authorized to use the Jayhawk logo and other KU trademarks. Royalties from the program, totaling more than $950,000 last year, help fund student and student-athlete scholarships.