Women’s Basketball Forward Named Kay Yow "Servant Leader" in Support of Cancer Survivors

JoJo Lacey, the first from Rutgers to receive the award, will be recognized during the Play4Kay basketball game Feb. 9

Soon after Rutgers women’s basketball transfer JoJo Lacey set foot on the banks, she stepped forward to take the lead in an event to fight food insecurity.

Members of the women’s basketball and men’s soccer teams volunteered over the summer with America’s Grow-a-Row. The athletes traveled to a farm in Pittstown, New Jersey, for a full day in the fields, picking thousands of pounds of fresh corn.

Lacey took on the role of cheerleader and encouraged everyone as they harvested 6,700 pounds of corn.

"It was nice to be there and help out," she said. "For me, I was in competition with how many rows of corn I could knockdown. It was warm and sweaty, but I was pretty speedy in the process. Then it turned into a competition, mostly with teammates Destiny Adams and Zachara Perkins. It was a lot of fun."

Their efforts supported local organizations including Feeding America, the Community Foodbank of New Jersey and City Harvest in New York City.

"I want to give back to the community," Lacey says.

Her commitment to helping others led to her selection as a Servant Leader for the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, the first student from Rutgers to receive the inaugural award.

“JoJo has just the biggest heart,” said women’s basketball head coach Coquese Washington, who nominated Lacey for the recognition. “She’s always smiling – one security guard at home games calls her “Giggles.” She is always reaching out, trying to build bridges and build connections with her team, within our athletic department and within the Rutgers community at large.’’

"Her spirit of serving and giving made her a natural recipient of this reward,” Washington said.

Lacey will be recognized for her contributions during the Play4Kay basketball game against Purdue Feb. 9 at 7 p.m. Fourteen players around the country have been selected, from Florida State to Oklahoma State and Southern California.

Kay Yow coached North Carolina State from 1975-2009. A member of the Naismith Hall of Fame, she won more than 700 games. Diagnosed with breast cancer in 1987, she died in 2009 at age 66.

“I’m honored they chose me,’’ said Lacey, who is wearing a pink and blue patch this season that identifies her as a Kay Yow Servant Leader. “I think I fit the qualifications of being a Servant Leader because of all the things I’ve been through and have had to do. My dad passed away last January, and I feel like my smiling every day says a lot and goes a long way.’’

For Lacey, the recognition is a celebration of her father’s legacy.

“He died of a heart attack,” she said. “At first it was very hard. My dad, no matter what was going on, how many hours he had to work, he always showed up. I feel that’s one thing I wanted to pass along. You gotta show up where your feet are. I try and lift everybody up. You don’t always know what everybody else is going through, so I think my dad being that way kind of transferred over to me.”

A transfer from Boston College, where she received an undergraduate degree in communications, it didn’t take long for the fifth-year senior to bond with her teammates and coaches, a skill those around her recognized.

“I also think it has to do with just being an upperclassman. I think in different ways I know how to lead my team,” said Lacey, who is now majoring in Sports Business. “I think I also find out individual ways to lift everybody up, especially the younger players. I think that’s another reason.”

She is also finding her stride at Rutgers. In a recent game at Michigan, she scored a career-high 27 points.

“She works hard on the court,’’ Washington said. “She’s so versatile. She does so many things. She does a lot of things for us that we need. I’m just fortunate and blessed to have her.”

The honor for Lacey continues a deep connection between the team and the organization.

Last year the Scarlet Knights presented a $50,000 check from the Kay Yow Cancer Fund to RWJBarnabas Health and Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey to establish the Rutgers Women’s Basketball Cancer Support Game Plan, which provides funding assistance for underserved female cancer patients across New Jersey.

It includes transportation to and from appointments, co-pays for appointments, medication assistance, support services, genetic counseling and other services not covered by insurance.

At the Feb. 9 game, volunteers will collect donations, and women cancer survivors will be celebrated at halftime.

 “It’s exciting to partner with RWJBarnabas Health Center Cancer Institute,’’ Washington said. “Part of our mission as a program is to be impactful in our community, and this allows us to do just that.”

Through Play4Kay, the former NC State head coach saw a way to bring communities together and honor cancer warriors in the fight against all cancers affecting women. The Servant Leader Award, presented annually to people with a servant’s spirit and a commitment to selfless leadership both on and off the court and athletic field, honors her legacy.

Lacey, from Douglassville, Pa., chose Rutgers in part due to its location. She takes comfort in being less than two hours from home since her father’s death.

Her mother and older brother have attended every home game, and a younger brother has attended most. That’s something they couldn’t do when she was at Boston College.

“I think Rutgers is the place I needed to be,” she said. “Coach Co does an amazing job understanding, because her dad also passed away in January 2020. So, January is a hard time not only for me but my head coach who also understands what I’m going through.”