Alum shoots, scores with 'Shoot for the Cure'

One brother was an investment banker, the other was a publicist -- both quit their jobs to move back home when they heard that their mother had been diagnosed with breast cancer.

Tufts alum Scott McWilliam and his brother, Kendall, redirected their energies towards caring for their mother. Later, they formed the Brothers McWilliam Foundation, a non-profit organization that helps to raise funds for health-related charities.

This weekend, the brothers will bring Shoot for the Cure to Cousen's Gym in an effort to raise money for breast cancer research. The event is part of an intercollegiate basketball tournament sponsored in conjunction with the Massachusetts Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

The Komen Foundation also holds the Race for the Cure, a well-known charity marathon for cancer

As part of the Boston-wide event, tournaments will be held at 14 participating schools. Entry into the tournament costs $5, and the brothers hope to raise $500 at each school. These tournaments -- including the one taking place in Cousens this weekend -- will consist of three-on-three games and three-point and foul-shooting contests.

The winners of each school's tournament will duke it out at the championship, which will be held at Tufts on Friday, April 2, and the winners will receive free New Balance sneakers.

"We came up with the [basketball] idea during March Madness," said Scott, who is no stranger to volunteerism. As an undergraduate at Tufts, he started the Food Rescue Program of the Leonard Carmichael Society (LCS).

Scott sees the tournament to be a chance for students from various Boston schools to interact -- something he found lacking while a student.

"When I went to Tufts, the schools didn't really interact with each other ... I came up with this idea to combine everybody," he said. "There are 200,000 college students in Boston alone, so there is huge potential for fundraising."

After the Komen Foundation agreed to co-sponsor the tournament, Scott got in touch with Tufts and received positive feedback from his alma mater. According to Scott, Tufts Athletics department's Rick Miller has been instrumental in making the event happen.

Along with the support of various University staffers, the student coordinators of Cancer Outreach, a program of LCS, were also happy to help out. The two brothers cite students' willingness to be involved as an essential factor in the tournament's inception.

Cancer Outreach has already sponsored basketball and football tournaments as part of their fundraising efforts. "This is a great opportunity to build on that," Cancer Outreach coordinator and sophomore Dave Baumwoll said. Baumwoll credits former Cancer Outreach coordinators -- seniors Lauren Weintraub and Sarah Axler -- for setting a precedent.

Groups other than LCS have also gotten involved in the tournament. Sophomore Erin Poth, another Cancer Outreach Coordinator, approached Theta Chi for their involvement, and the fraternity was eager to participate. The tournament also attracted corporate sponsors such as 7Up and Nantucket Nectars.

According to the McWilliam brothers, who have already raised $826 at

Harvard's Feb. tournament, this year's Shoot for the Cure is just the beginning. The brothers hope to "expand this to the rest of the schools [in the country] and beyond," Kendall said.

For more information on Shoot for the Cure, visit www.brothersmcwilliam.org. Signups for the event are still going on, and students can register at the entrance of the tournament. Spectators are welcome.