Men’s basketball coach, Elon alumna dance to fight breast cancer

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On Saturday, Oct. 13, Matheny and White will participate in a dance competition that serves as a fundraiser for Little Pink Houses of Hope of Burlington, N.C., an organization that raises money for families fighting breast cancer. The Dancing with the Little Pink Stars gala, held at Alamance Country Club, pits Matheny and White against five other teams, with each team performing an original, 90-second dance routine.

White and Matheny follow in the footsteps of Elon’s head baseball coach Mike Kennedy ‘91, who participated in the fundraiser in 2011.

White, who works as Elon’s assistant director of alumni engagement, had plenty of experience to draw on as the team prepared for competition. She was part of Elon’s cheerleading team during her time as a student, and is in her first year of volunteering as Elon’s assistant dance team coach.

“It’s been an amazing experience to work with Coach Matheny,” said White. “It’s a complete role reversal to see him as a student and me as the coach. To balance that out, he makes sure to teach me some basketball skills every practice.”

Though Matheny is more comfortable on a basketball court than a dance floor, he says it’s a small price to pay for such an important cause.

“For me to spend 90 seconds dancing outside of my comfort zone pales in comparison to what the families go through when they are attacked by this dreadful disease,” said Matheny during a recent interview with WGHP – Fox 8.

Dancing with the Little Pink Stars features live music, dinner and a silent auction, and is a major fundraiser for Little Pink Houses of Hope, a non-profit that provides beach retreats for breast cancer survivors and their families. Retreats are designed to allow families to reconnect and relax at no cost to the survivors. For a full list of competitors or more information on the fundraiser and the organization, visit the Little Pink Houses of Hope website at http://www.littlepinkhousesofhope.org.