The University of Toledo is hosting the fifth annual Tie One On event Saturday, Jan. 24, at 7 p.m. in Savage Arena.
Since 2011, Tie One On has raised more than $70,000 toward the fight against prostate cancer. All proceeds benefit UT’s Eleanor N. Dana Cancer Center.
For $100, Rocket fans receive a ticket to the men’s basketball game vs. Bowling Green State University and a UT bow tie. Students can purchase tickets at a discounted rate of $20. Tickets can be purchased online at utoledo.edu/tieoneon.
Head Coach Tod Kowalczyk and his staff will wear bow ties during the game in support of the cause. An online auction featuring custom Tie One On game-worn jerseys will take place.
In addition to its local efforts, UT is taking the Tie One On initiative across the state. As part of a new partnership with the Cleveland Cavaliers, The University of Toledo Bracket Bow Tie Challenge will run in the beginning of 2015. The co-branded promotion will encourage fans to vote beginning Sunday, Jan. 25, for which Cavaliers personality best wears a bow tie.
Winners will advance to the next round in the bracket, and a champion will be crowned during week four. The Bracket Bow Tie Challenge winner will be recognized when the Cavaliers take on the Boston Celtics Tuesday, March 3.
Allie Clifton, Cavaliers sideline reporter for Fox Sports Ohio, will kick off the Bracket Bow Tie Challenge during UT’s Tie One On event in January. Clifton graduated from the University in 2010 and is a former member of the UT women’s basketball team.
Tie One On is part of a partnership between UT and BowTie Cause, a national initiative that designs bow ties for charitable efforts across the country.
“Our relationship with BowTie Cause helps us in taking our efforts to fight prostate cancer to the national stage,” said Lawrence J. Burns, UT vice president for external affairs.
Some of the money raised during the event supports the Prostate Cancer Awareness Lecture Series. The community lectures are led by Dr. Samay Jain, UT assistant professor, division chief of urologic oncology and medical director of the Urology Clinic, and Dr. Ajay Singla, UT professor and director of female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery. Jain has been named honorary chair for Tie One On 2015.
“This event is very important to the community. It forces conversation about a topic that many men avoid,” Jain said. “There are a lot of myths surrounding prostate cancer and the care for it, so events like this are critical in making sure that men have the right tools to take care of themselves.”
This year’s celebrity guest will be Ernie Johnson, host of “Inside the NBA” on TNT. Johnson was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2003. He also is the lead television voice for Major League Baseball on TBS and contributes to coverage of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament.
Morgan Stanley is the presenting sponsor of Tie One On. Other event sponsors include Kroger, Yark Automotive and Treu House of Munch (Bud Light). Bow tie cutouts will be available for a minimum donation of $1 at Rocky’s Locker on UT’s Main Campus, Yark Automotive and 24 Kroger locations across northwest Ohio. All proceeds will benefit the event.
Nominations are being accepted for the annual Joe Metzger Award, which will be presented during the event. Established by UT’s Division of External Affairs and Metzgers, a Toledo printing business, the award honors a team or individual that shows a commitment to the characteristics that Joe Metzger demonstrated every day. The nomination form can be found here.
“We are grateful for the support that Tie One On has received from organizations across northwest Ohio,” Burns said. “Tie One On is not only a UT event, but one that impacts and benefits the greater community.”
For more information, visit utoledo.edu/tieoneon.
