Few plays in basketball alter the momentum of a game like taking a charge.
Not only does the change of possession offer a huge boost to the team on defense, but charges also happen to be one of the most overtly physical plays in the game.
And for the Penn women’s basketball team, every charge they take will also have a profound impact off the court.
The Quakers have taken on a new philanthropic initiative this year: Charge for a Cure. Fans have pledged to donate a certain amount of money for every charge that a Penn player takes.
Each month of the season corresponds with a different organization that aims to find a cure for a disease that has touched the program in some way.
Starting tomorrow, when the Red and Blue (2-3) take on Army (2-5) in their first game of December, the money raised from charges taken will go to the Lupus Foundation of America.
The other four months of the season have been dedicated to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis Parkinson’s disease, breast cancer and cystic fibrosis.
In the month of November alone, which was dedicated to ALS, the team took 16 charges over five games, raising $898 from 47 donors.
“The money is important, but what’s more important for us is bringing out the awareness,” coach Mike McLaughlin said.
“As a basketball team it helps us,” he added, “because, you take a charge in a game, it’s a big thing towards the outcome of the game.”
The team undertakes a community service project every year. The idea for this year’s campaign sprung from a collaborative effort between coaches and players.
The coaches initially considered basing the campaign on three-point shots. However, according to assistant coach Kara Cassidy, “charges are something that are a little bit more effort-based and [involve] giving yourself up. It goes along with the theme.”
Senior guard Erin Power has taken her fair share of charges in her basketball career.
“Stepping up to take a charge is an interesting experience,” she said. “You know it’s probably going to hurt, but the pain pays off.”
On Nov. 17, Power celebrated her 22nd birthday. Instead of accepting gifts, she asked that her friends and family instead donate to the Charge for a Cure cause.
“A charge is a unique thing in that they don’t happen very often, so when they do it’s a pretty special thing,” Power said. “Especially when you have something like Charge for a Cure attached to it.”
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