South Carolina Basketball: Dawn Staley gives back
By Kevin Miller
South Carolina basketball coach Dawn Staley has always been one to be involved in philanthropic efforts. Arguably the biggest name in the history of women’s basketball, Staley has played in the Final Four, won multiple Olympic Gold Medals as a player and a coach, had one of the best women’s professional careers of all-time, and won two national titles as a coach.
As great as her accomplishments are on-the-court, Staley is a winner off-the-court, as well.
Her InnerSole Initiative (a foundation founded along with former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley based on the brilliant idea from Staley’s friend Rene McCall) provides shoes to students in need. The Dawn Staley Champions Fund provides financial aid to first-generation college students who need help to avoid mountains of student loan debt. She also has been an extremely vocal advocate for women and minorities in sports, especially in the game of basketball.
Now, the two-time national champion head coach is giving back in a new way. Staley, who played her college ball at the University of Virginia, has partnered with Aflac (you may have seen her commercials with Duke’s Coach K where the legendary coaching duo is by the pool or birdwatching) to deliver “My Special Aflac Duck” robot toys to children battling cancer or severe sickle cell disease at the University of Virginia’s Children’s Hospital. The robots were designed to offer social and emotional support to the children.
Staley has used the phrase “caring on purpose” when describing her charitable and philanthropic work in the past, and she used the phrase again to give kudos to Aflac’s work. According to the report from PRNewswire, Staley said that “‘Caring on purpose’ is in Aflac’s DNA” and that she plans to continue working with the Insurance group “to bring joy to these patients.”
Aside from her excellence as a coach for the South Carolina basketball program, when one recognizes Staley’s work off-the-court, it is no wonder why there are plans to construct a statue of Dawn Staley in Columbia.