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Dec. 6, 2006

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia women’s basketball head coach Debbie Ryan and WINA Radio sports director Jed Williams, voice of the Cavaliers, have issued a challenge to the Charlottesville community. The duo is trying to raise $5,000 in monetary donations for Toy Lift which will be held on Dec. 8.

The money will be specifically earmarked for the purchase of children’s bicycles for the holiday season.

Fans are encouraged to call in their pledges during Williams’ talk show- “The Best Seat in the House”- on Wednesday, Dec. 6 and Thursday, Dec. 7 at 434-977-1070 or 800-688-9462. The show airs nightly from 6-8 p.m. on WINA Radio (1070 AM).

Donations will be collected by WINA Radio and taken to Toy Lift on Friday, Dec. 8 at Fashion Square Mall, which runs from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m. Toy Lift accepts cash, personal checks, MasterCard, and Visa donations.

If Ryan and Williams hit their goal of $5,000, the duo has agreed to be lifted up in the bucket truck wearing only their swimsuits sometime during the 8-9 a.m. hour. The weather forecast for Friday morning predicts a temperature of 38 degrees.

Toy Lift is the signature event of the Kids Lift Foundation. Toy Lift began in 1988 when founder Tom Powell decided to perch himself eighty feet up in a bucket truck at the corner of Hydraulic Road & Route 29. He stayed there until people donated 1,000 toys, which he then distributed to local children. Eighteen years later, Toy Lift has grown into a huge annual community event with food, entertainment, and media coverage, raising over 17,000 toys.

Toy Lift serves children ages newborn to 13 in the city of Charlottesville and Albemarle, Buckingham, Fluvanna, Greene, and Nelson counties. For more information on Toy Lift 2006, please visit: http://avenue.org/kids/toylift.htm

Virginia (7-2) is in the midst of an 11-day break for final exams. The Cavaliers resume action on Saturday, Dec. 16 when they host Cleveland State at 7 p.m. at the John Paul Jones Arena.

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