The Hope Bus: 10/13/09 Duke-Carolina Basket Ball Marathon

The Duke-Carolina Student Basketball Marathon is a year-long fundraising event jointly organized by students from Duke University and The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The marathon is made possible by the Student Basketball Marathon student organization in conjunction with other student organizations. This non-political and non-religious event was created to give students and student organizations from both universities an opportunity to collaborate on an issue which is equally important to both communities- Providing opportunities for children with life-threatening illnesses to develop life skills through athletics. The Duke-Carolina rivalry is often considered the best in all of college sports. While rivals on the basketball court, the Duke-Carolina Student Basketball Marathon is just one way Duke and Carolina work together to help build a stronger community. Throughout the year, students from both institutions compete against each other to raise the most money.

Proceeds from the marathon benefit BounceBack Kids (formally known as Hoop Dreams Basketball Academy) (http://www.bouncebackkids.org/), an organization which helps children with life-threatening illnesses develop successful life skills through basketball.
Throughout the year, students from both institutions compete against each other to raise the most money. Each year, the marathon culminates with a Duke vs. Carolina co-ed basketball game. The inaugural Marathon broke the Guinness World Record, which stood at 57 hours and 25 minutes! Duke's team won that game 3699-3444. The Marathon was able to raise over $60,000 for the BounceBack Kids.

This year, the Marathon will be a 26 hour affair, starting Friday, January 15th, 7:00pm, to Saturday, January 16th, 9:00pm. During the basketball marathon weekend, students and faculty, as well as the UNC and Duke communities come together to cheer on their respective teams and help raise money for the children of BounceBack Kids. Throughout the basketball marathon weekend, acapella and dance groups as well as several local bands will serenade the crowd and keep the game floor bouncing.
Whether you are an organizer, player, or supporter you are a part of the team. Everyone plays a small part in creating the fun, supportive, and festive atmosphere which is a hallmark of the Student Basketball Marathon weekend.

Mission:

Our mission is to empower, inspire, and make a positive difference in the lives of children with life-threatening illnesses by creating opportunities to build successful life skills through athletics.

History:

The Duke-Carolina Student Basketball Marathon was originally proposed by Greg Richmond in the fall of 2005. Soon after, the idea was adopted by the UNC and Duke Newman Centers as a joint project for the 2005-2006 school year. The objective of the marathon is to unite students and student organizations from both universities, and offer them an opportunity to work together to better the community. The first Student Basketball Marathon was sponsored by Spalding, along with the UNC and Duke Catholic Student Newman Centers in conjunction with other student organizations.

http://www.basketballmarathon.com

Interview with Executive Director Lisa Brachman

CBS's The Early Show covers the first annual Duke-Carolina Student Basketball marathon, including the ceremonial opening tip thrown by Senator John Edwards.