Coaches versus cancer is a collaboration between the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches to raise awareness for cancer.

Kentucky State University basketball coach Jamal Jackson has long been combining formal and casual wear during games for the Coalition's Suits and Sneakers initiative for this year's event.

Coach Jackson decided to let some creative Frankfort eighth graders try their hand at shoe design for the cause.

Coaches versus Cancer is just an initiative, a partnership between the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches.

Started participating in their suits, Suits and Sneakers initiative, probably about ten, ten or 12 years ago.

Suits and Sneakers is one of the many initiatives that coaches versus cancer uses just to publicize their work in their efforts and in getting people to to get screened for cancer.

Minorities don't go to get screened at the rate that not minorities do.

So this is a very important initiative.

They wear sneakers and their suits to celebrate and to love on those who have had cancer, who are in remission, who have passed away from cancer just to show support.

This is the first year I've had some kids designed, really designed my shoes just to get more of the more the word out and more community involvement.

I actually received an email from the KSU basketball coach.

Originally I was like, I think they message wrong person.

I don't teach PE.

But then I read through the rest of it.

I was like, Oh, they want to have us do that.

From there I picked them up at two students at first who have a love of art, and I knew that their art style might be a little bit different, but that they could still come up with something really neat.

I ended up recruiting two more boys who also enjoy art a lot, and they were just really hyped to work on them.

It was really fun.

Like having having a time to come to our room and express how I put how I put the art on the shoe, like how I use my creativity to express breast cancer awareness.

But we did a lot of this during my lunch time, so they would be in here with me and I would just kind of give them space because I wanted them to be able to create without any influence from me.

I wanted it to be all student based.

There are two different color design like how one shoes like pink and black, and now the other hand is all white with the breast cancer ribbons on it.

We basically split the two feet apart.

No one else.

I take the one that had the most color on it.

I mean, basically g lit up the how to do the ribbons and stuff like that.

And like the perfect way to do it.

What color?

The shades of color and stuff like that.

And we basically just did the ribbons all over the shoe.

The kids did a great job.

And I'm really happy with them.

I enjoy wearing them.

Got a lot of comments from our students here.

I bet.

So Coach Jackson wore the shoes during a home game with Lane College on January 14th and the thoroughbreds scored a victory.