One of the signature events in Geno's Cancer Team's fundraising efforts is fast approaching as UConn coach Geno Auriemma will hold his second annual "Horsin' Around" on May 2 at his Geno's Fast Break restaurant inside the Mohegan Sun Casino.

Here's a little more information:

On May 2, 2009, Geno's Cancer Team, founded by Geno & Kathy Auriemma
in 2007, will host "Horsin' Around". Horsin' Around centers on a
derby day theme with the running of the 135th Kentucky Derby taking a
major role during the evening. It will be held at Geno's Fast Break
Restaurant at the Mohegan Sun Casino from 3:30 to 7:30 pm.

Net proceeds from the event will be donated to The V Foundation for
Cancer Research, founded in 1993 by NC State Basketball coach Jim
Valvano and ESPN. The afternoon will include great food, a wine
tasting provided by Connecticut Distributors and entertainment
provided by Out of the Basement. Live and silent auctions will be
part of the program. Auction items include a 2009 National
Championship UCONN basketball, signed Rafael Nadal photos and tickets
to see Brittany Spears at Mohegan Sun. There will also be a one of a
kind live auction item - two tickets, as Geno and Kathy's guests, to
the Naismith Hall of Fame Ring Ceremony held at the Mohegan Sun
Casino on Saturday, September 12th, where the 2009 Hall of Fame
Inductees will be presented their rings (the inductees include:
Michael Jordan, David Robinson, Jerry Sloan, John Stockton, and C.
Vivian Stringer.) The evening's special guest is Nick Valvano,
brother of Jim Valvano and CEO of The V Foundation for Cancer
Research.

Geno's Cancer Team also hosts a Student Initiative which is coming to
the end of a very successful fund-raising season. To date they have
raised $32,500 from events through out the state, $6,500 from E-bay
auctions, and $2,300 in loose change from donations boxes. The final
event of the season will be held at Branford High School." Branford
Plays for a Cure Basketball Tournament" will be held on Thursday,
April 30th from 7-9 pm at Branford High School. For ticket
information please call: 203-488-8304.

For more information on the Horsin' Around event or to make a
donation visit: www.genoscancerteam.org or call (860) 558-1987.

Auriemma is also expected to be in attendance as a fundraising event in Branford on April 30. The "Plays for a Cure" event will feature four charity basketball games with the money raised going to benefit Geno’s Cancer Team, the Leukemia
& Lymphoma Society and Debbie Maloney Memorial Foundation. Tickets are $10 for games between teams of Branford public schools students, teachers, a team of WTNH television personalities as well as a showdown between Branford's firefighters and police. For more information, contact Dave Maloney in CIAC headquarters at 203-250-1111.

Staying on the "making a difference" theme, there is an event at Yale Thursday which bears mentioning even if there happens to be no UConn connections I am aware of. There will be a marrow donor drive in the hopes of finding a match for Yale women's hockey player Mandi Schwartz and others fighting leukemia and in need of a match for a stem cell transplant. The event will be held from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Yale Commons (the corner of College and Grove streets) and all that is required is a swab of the cheek and the OK to have your information entered into National Marrow Donor Program registry.