The guest list of college basketball coaches changes every year, but the message remains intact.

“Let’s crush cancer,” said Hawaii’s Eran Ganot, who is one of the hosts of Dec. 19 pau-hana event supporting the Coaches vs. Cancer initiative.

The head coaches of the eight-team Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Classic will serve as co-hosts of the event at Kani Ka Pila Grille in the Outrigger Reef Waikiki Beach. The event will feature food, beverages, a silent auction and a talk-story session with the participating coaches.

All proceeds will go to the Clarence T.C. Ching Hope Lodge, which provides rooms for cancer patients and their caregivers.

“This will be our seventh Coaches vs. Cancer event (in Hawaii),” Ganot said. “We started from scratch, and to see it grow through the years has been awesome. We’ve had more and more sponsors every year. It’s probably one of the most unique events of its kind because we do it in conjunction with the ESPN/Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic.”

Soon after Ganot was hired as UH’s head coach in 2015, he reached out to Lon Kruger, who was leading the Coaches vs. Cancer program. Ganot was included in a group that offered the tie-in with the eight-team tournament.

“We’ve had 100% participation from each of the (tournament teams),” Ganot said.

The first event was at Murphy’s Bar and Grill on Merchant Street. After that, the event moved to the Outrigger Reef, where it was held every ensuing year except for the pandemic-related hiatus in 2020.

“We’re raising a lot of money and awareness for something that is affecting a lot of people directly or indirectly,” Ganot said. “We’ve got to continue to fight the fight. There have been a lot of inroads and advances made. But we’ve got to keep going until we crush it.”

Tickets are priced at $150, and may be purchased at hawaiibowlfoundation.org. Call 808-523-3688 for further details, as well as information on sponsorships.