NORMAL, Ill. – On Tuesday, head women's basketball coach Barb Smith and the Redbirds participated in a Cold Water Challenge supporting the Kay Yow Cancer Fund at Duffy Bass Field. In a movement that has gained momentum throughout the past couple of weeks, the hashtag #Chillin4Charity has exploded across Twitter as women's basketball programs across the country challenge each other to support the noble cause.
Once a coach, student-athlete or administrator has been challenged, all parties have 48 hours from the release to answer the challenge. If any head coach doesn't answer the challenge, that coach owes $250 to the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. For each coach that answers the challenge, the challenging coach will owe the Kay Yow Cancer Fund $50. Assistant coaches that partake in the challenge will owe the Kay Yow Cancer Fund $100 if they don't accept the challenge, but if an assistant accepts the challenge, the challenging coach owes the fund $25.
Student-athletes are also getting in on the fun challenging community service hours. If a student-athlete doesn't accept the challenge, they must do five hours of community service. For each student-athlete that does the challenge, each challenging player will owe two hours of community service.
Smith was called out by Missouri head women's basketball coach and former Redbird head coach Robin Pingeton. Assistant coaches Erin Dickerson and Lisa Hayden also accepted the challenge, as well as Director of Basketball Operations Annie Isler, Deputy Director of Athletics/Senior Women's Administrator Leanna Bordner and senior guard Katy Winge. The Redbirds that accepted the challenge also continued the trend and challenged others, including Smith's selections of Wichita State head coach Jody Adams and Northern Illinois head coach Kathi Bennett.
Check out the video to see the women's basketball program take part in the #Chillin4Charity movement.
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