Feb. 17, 2010

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - This Thursday and Friday Coleman Coliseum will be filled with a sea of pink as both the women's basketball and gymnastics teams host "Power of Pink" events to raise awareness in the fight against breast cancer.

While it is customary for the Crimson Tide's home venue to feature fans and athletes all in a form of pink attire for the breast cancer awareness events, this week the exterior of Coleman Coliseum is also going to be dressed in pink as well with some help from the College of Arts and Sciences, campus electricians and local businesses.

"We're very excited to see the Coliseum lit up in pink," Alabama head gymnastics coach Sarah Patterson said. "What an amazing display for this great cause, for the Power of Pink."

The special lighting will shine for the women's basketball game against Tennessee which gets underway at 8 p.m. on Thursday and the gymnastics meet vs. Arizona, which starts at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.

Associate professor Craig Wedderspoon, along with instructor Jamey Grimes and graduate assistant Joe McCreary, all from the Department of Art and Art History, have spearheaded the effort to light the night pink for these events. The trio has received technical assistance from Tim Porter, Phillip Trull, Donny Jones and other campus electricians along with Col. Duane Lamb, UA Assistant Vice President/Facilities and Grounds.

The project has been a labor of love across the UA campus with the College of Arts and Sciences, headed by Dr. Robert Olin, the college's dean, the Department of Art and Art History, led by Dr. Cathy Pagani and UA Academic Affairs, led by Dr. Judy Bonner, all donating money and resources to the project.

In the community, David DeSantis and Tuscaloosa Toyota, along with the Harrison Galleries, long-time champions of the Power of Pink initiative, donated funds to make the lighting project a success while Phifer Wire donated material for a sculpture that Grimes has created for the events that will be displayed in the Coliseum this week.

In addition to the display created by the campus effort, there will also be luminaries lighting the front steps of the Coliseum. There will be a lighting ceremony for the luminaries, the sale of which was organized by the DCH Foundation, at 7 p.m. on Thursday and 6:30 p.m. on Friday.

There will also be a number of prizes given away at both events, including 42-inch televisions, an iPod Nano and iTouch, UA football season tickets and $500 gift cards to Best Buy and the Shirt Shop just to name a few.

"I hope everyone comes to these events, has a great time and remembers to think pink and wear pink," Patterson said.

Tickets are available to both events at the Alabama Ticket Office (205.348.2262), located in the lobby of Coleman Coliseum, and online at RollTide.com.