QUEENS, N.Y. - As part of St. John's 2011 University Service Day, the Red Storm basketball programs are joining forces with the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation (PCRF) for the inaugural "Dribble for the Cure" fundraising event in New York City this September.

The Dribble for the Cure - a run/walk event where everyone dribbles a basketball - will take place on the St. John's University Queens campus from 10 a.m.-12:15 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 24. The proceeds from the event will go to support Dr. Mitchell S. Cairo at the PCRF Laboratory at Maria Fareri Children's Hospital at Westchester Medical Center, New York Medical College. Dr. Cairo's research has contributed to increased survival rates of childhood cancers, blood disorders and immunological diseases.

Participants, who will dribble through an approximately 30-minute course winding through the St. John's campus beginning and ending at Carnesecca Arena, will be given the opportunity to meet and get autographs and photographs with their favorite players from the St. John's basketball teams and head coaches Steve Lavin and Kim Barnes Arico.

"St. John's Basketball is proud to be associated with Dribble for the Cure. It is an incredible program in line with our University's mission, that champions and supports pediatric cancer research in New York City," said Lavin. "We encourage our fans to come out, join our team, meet our student-athletes and staff and support this great cause. It's going to be a great day of service to the community at St. John's."

"Our team is really excited for the opportunity to participate in Dribble for the Cure," adds Barnes Arico, head coach of the Red Storm women. "It's also going to be a wonderful experience for our players to have a number of young kids and their families on our St. John's campus."

Dribble for the Cure was created by the PCRF as a way for college and university basketball programs to help raise money for children's cancer research and to bring dollars to local medical institutions for the care and treatment of children with cancer. John Vallely, former NBA player and a two-time national champion at UCLA, is the founder and an advisor to Dribble for the Cure.

"The Dribble for the Cure is not only a fundraising event, it's an awareness event," says Dr. Cairo. "It brings people in the community--particularly St. John's athletes and students--into the fold of understanding the importance of pediatric cancer research and the impact that it has not only on children today but also in the future. It also helps the University bring its students into the sphere of charity and doing public good--things that are not always discussed in class."

To find out more about Dribble for the Cure, including registration and pledge details and sponsorship opportunities, click here. Please note: each participant is asked to bring their own basketball.

About the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation (PCRF)
PCRF was established in 1982 to improve the care, quality of life and survival rate of children with malignant diseases. Since 1982, PCRF's dedicated volunteers have raised almost $30 million for pediatric cancer research. All funds raised from the St. John's Dribble for the Cure event will go directly to support the vital research of Mitchell S. Cairo, M.D. and the PCRF Research Laboratory at Maria Fareri Children's Hospital at Westchester Medical Center, New York Medical College in the fight against pediatric cancer and other lethal blood disorders.

PCRF is an independent, nonprofit organization governed by a volunteer Board of Directors comprised of community and business leaders, as well as parents of oncology patients. The Foundation is privately supported by donations from individuals, charitable foundations and businesses. PCRF also raises funds through sales of its holiday/everyday line of cards designed by children with cancer. A dedicated group of volunteers donate their time and talents to ensure that over 80 percent of funds raised go directly to pediatric cancer research.

About St. John's Men's Basketball
The first year of The Steve Lavin Era included a 21-12 overall record in 2010-11, marking St. John's most wins since the 2002-03 season, with six Top 25 victories, four over Top 10 opponents and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2002. The USBWA District II Coach of the Year, Lavin transformed a team that finished in 13th place in the BIG EAST Conference last season at 6-12 to a squad that tied for third this year at 12-6 -only twice before has a jump of such magnitude occurred in BIG EAST Conference history. The Red Storm finished its season ranked 18th in the Associated Press Top 25, marking the first time it qualified for the postseason as a ranked team since 2000-01. The Red Storm, which posted a 7-1 record in eight regular season games at Madison Square Garden (capacity: 19,353) and a 5-2 record on campus at Carnesecca Arena (capacity: 5,602) saw its home attendance climb by 38.1 percent, marking the fourth-largest increase in NCAA Division I men's basketball.

About St. John's Women's Basketball
The 2010-11 St. John's women's basketball squad, under ninth-year head coach Kim Barnes Arico, continued to pave the way for the program's success as the Red Storm returned to the NCAA Tournament, advancing to the Round of 32 for the second-consecutive season, and was ranked for 16-straight weeks in the Associated Press Poll and 18-consecutive weeks in the ESPN/Coaches Poll (including the 2009-10 season). STJ celebrated its second-straight 20-win season and fourth of Barnes Arico's tenure. The excitement showed as St. John's had the 15th-largest increase in attendance per game in the nation in 2010-11. The Red Storm has come a long way during the Barnes Arico Era, as she took over a team that was 3-24 and winless in BIG EAST play and restored life and energy into a nationally competitive team every year. Under Barnes Arico, the Red Storm has made the BIG EAST tournament eight-straight seasons and has qualified for a postseason berth six out of the last seven years, including three trips to the NCAA Tournament.

About University Service Day
St. John's University annually celebrates University Service Day on or around the feast day of St. Vincent de Paul (Sept. 27), whose mission of service continues to inspire many to work towards social justice and the reduction of poverty. On this day, St. John's University serves its communities locally, nationally and globally through programs that include serving in soup kitchens and long-term care facilities, engaging disadvantaged children, cleaning and landscaping parks, painting schools and community centers and providing assistance with many area projects. The spirit of cooperation and generosity has led to the St. John's University Service Day mantra, "What a difference a day makes!"