Buzz Williams explains why he supported Missouri-tied charity during matchup

On the court, the Texas A&M Aggies battled the Missouri Tigers in a close game on Saturday, which head coach Buzz Williams ultimately saw his team narrowly win. Off the court, the game was about something bigger than a basketball game.

Saturday’s game was the 10th annual Rally for Rhyan Game at Missouri. Named for Mizzou Athletics’ staff member Brad Loos‘ daughter, the game goes toward her fight against pediatric cancer. Even Williams got in on the action, wearing a Rally for Rhyan t-shirt in a show of solidarity for the event.

Following the game, Williams explained his decision to support the Missouri charity during the game and what his familiarity actually was with the event.

“I’ll be transparent with you.” Buzz Williams said. “I found out about it when I began preparing, and just the testimony of Rhyan’s parents has changed my heart, and so I didn’t know until Coach [Dennis] Gates and I were texting yesterday as we were traveling that was Coach Loos’s daughter. I didn’t know that. I used to write Coach Loos’s dad when I was younger than you, and I used to write Coach [Kim] Anderson prior to his appointment as the head coach at Missouri, but when I was researching the story of Rhyan, I didn’t know that her dad was Coach and I didn’t know her granddad was Coach either and so just great respect and admiration for that family’s fight and gratitude that Rhyan seems to be doing well, but how her story has potentially maybe helped other Rhyans over the last 10 years.”

Rhyan Loos was five years old in 2015 when she was diagnosed with Stage IV Neuroblastoma. Luckily, in December 2016, she was declared cancer-free and has been so since then. Today, Rally for Rhyan continues to battle to end pediatric cancer for everyone.

Going into the game, Missouri had raised $588,000 with all donations going toward MU Hospital with the purpose being to fight pediatric cancer. Donations, buying t-shirts, and an online auction are the three primary sources of that income.

“I noticed that a lot of people were wearing this shirt. I sent our GA to buy this shirt when I saw people wearing it, looking forward at the concession stands,” Williams said. “So pretty cool.”

Texas A&M beat Missouri on the court. Of the court, and more importantly, for everyone involved, Rally for Rhyan surpassed $1 million raised in its fight against pediatric cancer.