University of Hawaii at Mānoa men’s basketball Head Coach Eran Ganot is this year’s recipient of the Coaches vs. Cancer Champion Award by the American Cancer Society. The Champion Award, which honors coaches who have shown extraordinary leadership and commitment in the fight against cancer, will be presented to Ganot during the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Welcome Reception on April 5 at the NCAA Final Four in Phoenix, Arizona.
For the last seven years, Ganot has been a member of the NABC‘s Coaches vs. Cancer Council, one of a select group of coaches nationally serving on the board to guide, enhance and expand the program’s reach. Since then, he has hosted an annual fundraiser in Honolulu in conjunction with the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic.
“When we thought about what’s the best way to fight cancer here in Hawaii, it was like a eureka moment,” Ganot said. “We host one of the great tournaments in the country every year. We can raise a lot of awareness and funds.”
In the last two years alone, Coach Ganot has helped raise more than $100,000 through his Coaches vs. Cancer events. Funds raised support the American Cancer Society`s Clarence TC Ching Hope Lodge in Honolulu, which provides free lodging for patients from throughout the Pacific who must travel to Oahu for their cancer treatment. In 2023, Hope Lodge Hawaii provided 8,284 nights of free lodging, saving patients nearly $1 million in lodging costs and alleviating stress for families dealing with medical costs and other stressors.
For more on Ganot, go to HawaiiAthletics.com
