Basketball coaches and sisters Dawn Cerrone of Our Lady of Mercy Academy and Michelle O'Brien of St Dominic High School held their annual Basketball Classic at Our Lady of Mercy Academy recently. The event is dedicated to the memory of their good friend and Our Lady of Mercy graduate Lisa Cowan who died of breast cancer at the age of 28. This year the Maurer Foundation for Breast Health Education was the proud beneficiary of the event, with a portion of the funds raised going toward college scholarships at both St. Dominic and Mercy as they alternate hosting this annual event.

Girls varsity basketball teams from Our Lady Of Mercy, St. Dominic, Farmingdale, Massapequa, Jericho, Plainview, Commack, Ursaline, Herricks, Floral Park, Mill Neck Manor, Carey and St. John the Baptist played and raised funds in the community before the event. After the games, the Maurer Foundation gave breast health classes for the players, which brought the message home to the girls about why they were playing that day.

The Maurer Foundation is extremely thankful for the efforts of Dawn Cerrone and Michelle O'Brien, the parents and players, the Our Lady of Mercy committee who hosted the day, the support of the Cowan Family, the coaches who inspired their teams and the many volunteers. The foundation said they were honored to be the recipient of this event driven by the efforts of young women.

The Maurer Foundation is dedicated to educating women about breast health through schools, businesses, community venues and the media. The foundation offers free breast health classes, breast health educator training and certification, and publishes an educational newsletter. For more information or to schedule a free class, call the foundation at1-(800) 853-LEARN.