The American College Hockey Coaches Association has adopted the Coaches Foundation as its charity.

The foundation is designed to help defray the medical costs incurred by coaches and their families who are stricken with serious diseases or illnesses.

The Coaches Foundation was developed this fall and was triggered by Maine coach Shawn Walsh’s battle with kidney cancer.

“It was originally developed around Shawn’s illness but, as we sat down and thought it through, we felt it was something we could do for all the coaches in need,” said Veazie’s Mike Towns, the vice president of the foundation.

The University of North Dakota’s game jerseys with Walsh’s name on the back of the jerseys, which were donated to Maine on their visit to Orono in October, will be auctioned off on-line to benefit the foundation.

The bidding will start on Jan. 19 at 8 a.m. and will conclude at noon on Jan. 25. A page has been set up on the Hockey East website (www.hockeyeastonline.com/bid.-html).

“They can bid by number,” said Towns, who added that the minimum bid is $150.

Walsh said the response to the foundation has been “very good” and that the coaches hope the foundation will grow proportionately to the college basketball coaches’ foundation established in honor of late North Carolina State basketball coach Jim Valvano.

Towns said, “We hope to take this foundation to a high level. We’d like to get the NHL involved and we hope other colleges and universities step up and help us.”

The Coaches Foundation not only helps pay for medical expenses that aren’t covered by insurance, it will also foot the bill for experimental treatments that wouldn’t be covered.

Towns said the foundation will have $25,000-$30,000 in the coffers soon and people can make donations by contacting The Coaches Foundation, P.O. Box 115, Bangor, 04402-0115.

The W.S. Emerson Co. in Brewer has donated 1000 white University of Maine hockey sweaters which will be sold for $10 apiece at this weekend’s series with Boston University. Half the proceeds will go to the Coaches Foundation and the other half will go to The Black Bear Club for athletic scholarships at Maine.

UM sets Youth Basketball Days

The University of Maine has scheduled Youth Basketball Days for its Jan. 14 men’s game at 1 p.m. against New Hampshire and its noon Jan. 20 women’s contest against Hofstra.

The Black Bears will be available for autographs after Sunday’s game at Alfond Arena in Orono.

All youth basketball players, coaches and their families can receive a discounted ticket price of $3 for both games by contacting the ticket office prior to game day at 1-800-756-8326 or 581-2327.

Teams that wish to be recognized over the P.A. system should give their name to the ticket office representative when ordering tickets.