Kampe’s ‘Coaches Beat Cancer’ event raises $180K-plus

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Tony Paul 6/5/2017

Royal Oak — Cancer affects everyone.

But for quite some time, it’s seemed to have disproportionately affected the Oakland University men’s program.

And so Oakland Greg Kampe started opening up about the tragedies during discussions with the media, catching the attention of the American Cancer Society. The next thing he knew, ACS employees were standing in Kampe’s office, saying, “Well, do something!”

“I was like, ‘What can I do?’ ” Kampe said.

Not long after that encounter, he found himself dining in the middle of nowhere with good friend, , the head coach of Michigan State basketball.

And as the small-town restaurant patrons flocked to Izzo for handshakes and selfies, it hit him.

“I’m not Elvis,” said Kampe, “but I know Elvis.

“I told him my idea, I called () and he jumped on. I called Roy Williams. ... Once I got that level of coach, everybody wanted to do it.”

This week marks Kampe’s second “Coaches Beat Cancer” fundraiser, which this year brought 11 big-name basketball coaches and media members into Metro Detroit for two days of socializing, golfing and, most importantly, cheering up young cancer patients at Beaumont Hospital, which was on the itinerary Monday morning.

Kampe, Michigan State’s Tom Izzo, Tennessee’s , ’s , Butler’s , South Carolina’s Frank Martrin, the Pistons’ Stan Van Gundy and Seton Hall’s were joined by media members , and .

On Monday morning, they spent hours meeting with cancer patients, signing autographs, giving high-fives and, well, just being there.

Then, Monday afternoon, the coaches took to the links at Oakland Hills Country Club’s fabled South Course in Bloomfield Township, playing golf with some generous auction bidders. More than $180,000 was raised by “Coaches Beat Cancer” this year, as bidders paid $24,000 each to play golf with Kampe and Izzo, and another $15,000 each to play golf with the other nine.

In the two years, total, nearly $400,000 has been raised, all going to the American Cancer Society.

“It’s rewarding,” said Izzo, the hit of Monday morning’s event, as several of the kids donned green and white. “It’s disappointing in a way, because you see what the kids are going through, but I’d say if you can be a little bit of a helping hand in something like this ...

“To see guys (fellow coaches) you think are a little tougher and gruffer, and this place brings you to your knees in a way, in a positive way.”

Kampe’s first “Coaches Beat Cancer” event was in 2015, and included the Kentucky’s Calipari, North Carolina’s Williams, Izzo, Barnes Michigan’s , ’s , ’s , UCLA’s and now Georgia Tech coach . 1/2 Williams, with his team having just won the national championship, had another commitment this year, as did Beilein.

But it didn’t stop Kampe from bringing in a roster still chock full of big names, many traveling long distances, and all on their own dime, to participate. It just goes to show how much respect there is in the industry for Kampe, a mid- major coach with a big-time reputation, said Van Gundy, who wanted an invite into the event after he saw media coverage of the first year.

It’s a unique fundraiser, in that it gives sports fans intimate access to the coaches. On Sunday night, the coaches and bidders had an hours-long dinner, over story after story — “The minnow turns into Moby Dick,” laughed Izzo, “as the story gets bigger.”

It beats your run-of-the-mill banquet, Kampe said.

“We’re trying to keep it small,” he said. “The difference between this event and any other event is the quaintness of it. People get to spend 24 hours with these greats, and it’s like they’re friends going out and having a cocktail, whatever, all the things we did last night. (Laughs.)

“They’re shoulder to shoulder, sitting at the tables for hours last night. It’s a special event.” [email protected] .com/tonypaul1984

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