The seats and the floor of the Knoxville High School gymnasium were filled Saturday night as Knoxville and Pella Christian fans and teams united to honor and support all those affected by cancer for Knoxville’s ninth edition of Coaches Versus Cancer.

The ceremony held between the boy’s and girls games featured testimonials from cancer survivors Barry Smith and Sue Pelong, and check presentations from Bushels for a Cure and the Knoxville Cancer Relay. The fundraiser is chasing last year’s total of just over $80,000 and made head way with $3,800 from Bushels for a Cure and over $19,000 from the Cancer Relay, new records for both organizations. Counting the community contributions will take a while, but officials announced at the close of the ceremony that $15,000 dollars had been counted from food, raffles, tee-shirt sales, alumni games and other sources, meaning that approximately $38,000 has been confirmed so far.