Welcome to the 19th annual Coaches vs. Cancer Wisconsin Gala! We’re thrilled to have you join us at the Overture Center for the Arts on Friday, May 29, 2026. Tonight brings together leaders from Wisconsin’s business and philanthropic communities and features live and silent auctions, special tributes, and appearances from Coach Bo Ryan and coaches from across the state.
Coaches vs. Cancer is a national partnership between the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches, uniting coaches and communities to increase cancer awareness, promote healthy living, and raise critical funds. Since 1993, the program has raised over $167 million nationwide – and more than $11.6 million right here in Wisconsin, the nation’s leading Coaches vs. Cancer program. ACS is currently funding over $5.44 million in cancer research at UW-Madison alone.
Every day, we ask: are we improving the lives of cancer patients and their families? Through advocacy, discovery, and patient support, the answer is yes.
We advocate for policies that expand access to care and fund lifesaving research – including nearly 450 meetings with Congress this past year to support essential NIH and NCI funding. We drive discovery with over $395 million invested in cancer research through 689 active grants nationwide. And we support patients 24/7 through our helpline, website, Hope Lodge® network, and nearly $7 million in transportation and lodging grants.
On behalf of our 2026 Board of Ambassadors Chair, Gregg Riek, and the entire Coaches vs. Cancer Wisconsin Board, thank you for supporting this life-saving mission. Together with our coaches and community partners, we save lives—and your support matters now more than ever.
As the only organization combating cancer through advocacy, discovery, and patient support, the American Cancer Society has made significant contributions to the fight against cancer over the last 112 years. We advocate for lifesaving policy changes, promote healthy lifestyles to help prevent cancer, and provide information, answers, and support to people in every community who have been touched by cancer. We also research cancer and its causes to find more answers and better treatment.
Yet, there is still work to be done – which is why we are so glad you have joined us tonight! The American Cancer Society continues to work tirelessly to fund research and provide support for all types of cancer. And thanks to your generous support, we work to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to prevent, detect, treat, and survive cancer.
Every cancer. Every life.
Learn MoreFor more than 10 decades, the American Cancer Society has been dedicated to pursuing better outcomes for every cancer, every life. Today, more people are surviving cancer than ever before, but there is still work to be done. Join us, support us, and help us end cancer as we know it, for everyone.
towards cancer research
winning scientists received research funding
through all patient support initiatives in 2024
