Durham, N.C.----The Kay Yow Cancer Fund has announced the 2026-27 Servant Leader award winners, with Wingate University junior Riley Black being one of the prestigious honorees. Award winners wear a Servant Leader patch on their jersey. One is named Servant Leader of the Year, with a $25,000 grant given in their name to a local healthcare provider.

Each year, the Kay Yow Cancer Fund honors student-athletes who put others first—on their teams, on campus, and in their communities. Nominated by their coaches and selected by the Fund, 66 Servant Leaders have been recognized nationwide to date—across DI, DII, DIII, and junior college programs—each representing what it means to lead through service.

Kay Yow was a legendary coach in women's basketball. She was an Olympic gold medal coach and Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee that had a 22-year, on-again, off-again battle with breast cancer. She fought that battle in the public arena. Her hope was to inspire others to make a difference in a fight that impacts each and every one of us – counting on the sports community of coaches, players, officials, and fans to propel the cause.

The Kay Yow Servant Leader Award honors her legacy and the young people who carry the fight against all cancer affecting women forward. Current student-athletes are nominated by their coach because they exemplify Coach Yow's spirit and reflect her resolve, grace, generosity, and servant's heart both on and off the court. Award winners receive public acknowledgment of their accomplishment and are recognized by a patch they wear on their uniform during the year they win the award.

The Kay Yow Cancer Fund was officially founded on December 3, 2007, from the vision of the organization's namesake, Kay Yow, former NC State University head women's basketball coach. Coach Yow was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1987 before succumbing to the disease on January 24, 2009. The Kay Yow Cancer Fund is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization committed to raising money for life-saving cancer research, underserved programs that provide access to quality cancer healthcare, and uniting people in the fight against all cancers affecting women. The Kay Yow Cancer Fund has awarded more than $11 million in the fight against all cancers affecting women. For more information on the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, or to donate, please visit KayYow.com.

WINGATE UNIVERSITY

Wingate University is a lab of difference-making that serves more than 3,600 students in North Carolina and offers 60 degree pathways, including 37 undergraduate majors, 9 pre-professional tracks and five dual-degree programs. Graduate students choose from seven master's and five doctoral programs. The University is home to the Cannon College of Arts and Sciences, the Levine College of Health Sciences, the Byrum School of Business, the Thayer School of Education, and the School of Sport Sciences.

Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a leader in healthcare education where nearly one in five undergraduate students is preparing to be a pharmacist, physician assistant, physical therapist, occupational therapist or nurse. Student-athletes on Wingate's 30 teams compete in NCAA Division II and have brought home the SAC Echols Athletic Excellence Award the past 18 times it has been awarded. The University's motto is "Faith, Knowledge, Service." View current news and videos at www.wingate.edu.

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