There’s still much more to be counted, but already at least $28,000 has been raised from Saturday’s Coaches vs Cancer event in Knoxville. Event organizer and Knoxville girls basketball coach Jim Uitermarkt tells KNIA/KRLS that they raised more than $17,000 through their largest silent auction ever. They had previously raised around $11,000 through cash donations and t-shirt sales before the event. Michelle Gitzen, the Community Relations Coordinator for Coaches vs Cancer in Iowa, says that the Knoxville event always gives her goosebumps throughout the night.

The day-long event started with alumni games and the silent auction in the morning and through the afternoon. Shooting contests were held during halftime of both the boys’ and girls’ games, and a survivors’ ceremony was held between games. Knoxville and Chariton players and coaches gathered in a circle while three cancer survivors from the Knoxville area were recognized