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Laughing at (with) Huggins still a worthy cause

Huggie_i

Bob Huggins’ talents apply to more than just coaching college hoops. The man has turned into a prodigious fundraiser.

Most of its come by people laughing at him, too.

Three “roasts” or “salute dinners” for the West Virginia coach in the last nine months have raised nearly $500,000 for the Norma Mae Huggins Cancer Research Fund, according to a story in the Charleston Daily Mail.

The fund – established to honor Huggins’ mom who died of colon cancer in 2003 – was hovering in the $35,000 range before Huggins had three “roasts” that raised more than $200,000. Matching funds from the state of West Virginia boosted the fund even more. Will Armistead, the director of the Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center, said the fund’s “a little north of $467,000 right now.”

Sales from “Huggie Bear” toys have raised another $10,000. (No surprise there. Look how snuggly those things are!)

And Huggins is not about to stop fundraising. As Huggins told the paper:

“We didn’t do much with the fund until the (roast) here,” Huggins said. We’ve got to get it to the point where we actually have enough to do some really good things ... and we will.

“The (roast) here was a good start and the last two were just great. People came to us. Once word gets out, people want to help. Everybody is affected by cancer in one way or another, lost someone in their family or someone they knew well, and it’s a cause everyone can relate to.”


Laughing at Bob Huggins? Yeah, it’s a worthy cause.

(Thanks, College Basketball Nation)

You also can follow me on Twitter @MikeMillerNBC.