Bulls To Celebrate National Girls And Women In Sports Day

The 19th annual celebration will take place on Feb. 28

BUFFALO, NY – 2009 marks the 19th annual National Girls and Women in Sports Day (NGWSD) Celebration at the University at Buffalo. The Division of Athletics has planned numerous activities designed to honor its varsity female athletics teams, its competitive female club sports, women who have positively impacted UB women’s athletics, and its faculty and staff who work directly with the females athletes. This year’s program will be held on Saturday, February 28th and the theme is “Look Who’s Playing.” As in past years, there will be a multi-sport clinic held for young women and the NGWSD celebration, with keynote speaker, Ann Meyers Drysdale and the UB Recognition Award, which will go Sister Maria Pares. All this will precede Buffalo’s women’s basketball game against Akron.

The multi-sport clinic will include about 150 girls ages 7 – 14, who can participate in a variety of sports stations represented by varsity and club sports team. Each participant will also attend three healthy living workshops. Workshop topics include self esteem, nutrition and Title IX. The clinic will be held from 8:30am – 11:45am. This free event includes, clinic activities, pizza party and ticket to the UB Women’s basketball game. Space is limited so register now at www.buffalobulls.com. Spaces will be filled on a first come basis.

The celebration will then begin at noon with the keynote speaker being Ms. Meyers Drysdale, one of the most influential figures in basketball history. Ms. Meyers Drysdale is the General Manager of the Phoenix Mercury and Vice President of the Phoenix Suns. Ms. Meyers Drysdale was the first high-school player ever to play for the U.S. National Team, and the first woman to earn a full athletic scholarship to the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA), where she became the first four-time All-American selection.

The Celebration will also include remarks from the honored Varsity Student-Athlete and Sport Club Student Athlete, as well as the UB Recognition Award recipient. This year’s UB Recognition Award Recipient is Sister Maria Pares, Coach and Administrator at Sacred Heart Academy, and Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Famer. The program is free to the public. To register, visit www.buffalobulls.com.

“We are honored to have Ann Meyers Drysdale visit Buffalo and help us celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day,” said Anucha Browne Sanders, Senior Associate Athletic Director for Marketing / Senior Woman Administrator. “She has had a profound influence on women’s athletics at the collegiate and professional level and there is no better person to talk to the young women in the audience about staying fit and following their dreams than Ms. Meyers Drysdale.”

The NGWSD Celebration will conclude with the UB women’s basketball game vs. Akron at 2pm in Alumni Arena. Come experience Hoopla and senior day as the Bulls close out their 2009 home season. Game tickets will be free to Celebration participants.