Carol Allen – Cancer Survivor - Kay Yow Cancer Fund 2026

Carol Allen – Cancer Survivor

• PUBLISH DATE: June 22, 2026
• TAGS: Breast Cancer, Cancer Survivor

Carol Allen- Cancer Survivor

More Than A Survivor Story

This is not solely a story about diagnosis, treatment, and overcoming adversity.

Those stories matter deeply, but Carol Allen’s journey highlights something equally powerful: what happens after survival.

It’s about the ripple effect of community. Students learning the power of service. Survivors inspiring action. Businesses stepping forward. Neighbors standing together in the fight against cancer.

From a high school gym in Raleigh to a sold-out arena at NC State to Chick-fil-A restaurants across the Triangle, Carol’s story shows how one moment can spark another until an entire community is moving forward together—louder, stronger, and unstoppable.

When Carol Allen walked onto the court at Needham B. Broughton High School’s Play4Kay game earlier this year, she expected a meaningful evening.

A Raleigh native and 20-year breast cancer survivor, Carol stood shoulder to shoulder with fellow survivors and thrivers as the Broughton community honored them during the school’s annual Play4Kay event. The moment was emotional—a gym filled with applause, students lining the court, and a community rallying around people impacted by cancer.

For Carol, it was more than recognition.

“Standing on that court, surrounded by students and fellow survivors, I was overwhelmed by the support,” Carol said. “Twenty years after my diagnosis, it was a reminder that survivorship still matters and that people continue to care.”

At Needham B. Broughton High School, Play4Kay has become much more than a basketball game. What began nine years ago as an honors class project in the Sport & Event Marketing II course has evolved into a community-wide movement. Under the leadership of teacher Lisa Patterson, students take ownership of planning, promoting, and executing the annual event, gaining real-world marketing experience while raising funds for the Kay Yow Cancer Fund.

The initiative has become a source of pride across Raleigh. Over the past three years alone, the event has raised more than $100,000 for the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, contributing to more than $140,000 donated during the school’s years of involvement.

“At its core, our Play4Kay event is where education meets purpose,” said Ms. Patterson. “Watching my students take ownership of this class project and transform into leaders is such a privilege. They are learning that marketing is more powerful when it’s inspired by a spirit of service. I’m so proud of how each class strives to surpass the amount raised by the class before, proving that our students don’t have to wait until tomorrow to lead because they are making life-changing impacts today.”

Carol felt that purpose firsthand.

She attended the game with her daughter, a former basketball player herself, who encouraged her mom to continue the experience by attending the NC State Play4Kay game later that month. By chance, a friend was able to provide Carol with two tickets to the sold-out game.

Once again, Carol found herself walking to center court during halftime—this time alongside hundreds of survivors being celebrated by a sea of pink inside Reynolds Coliseum.

“The energy in the building was incredible,” Carol recalled. “Looking around and seeing so many survivors, families, students, and supporters united for one cause reminded me that none of us are fighting alone.”

The experience stayed with her long after the final buzzer.

After the game, Carol introduced herself and asked a simple question:

What more could she do to help?

That conversation sparked an idea.

Carol, who works for Chick-fil-A, began leading efforts to organize a community giveback campaign tied to National Cancer Survivor Month in June. Through Cookies for a Cause, 12 local Chick-fil-A operators joined together to donate a portion of cookie sales throughout the month to the Kay Yow Cancer Fund and the fight against cancer.

What started with a moment of recognition on a high school basketball court grew into an entire community of businesses and supporters stepping forward to make a difference.

For Carol, survivorship has become more than looking back on a cancer journey that began two decades ago. It has become an opportunity to help create new paths forward for others.

“Being recognized as a survivor was meaningful,” she said. “But being able to turn that experience into action that helps other people—that’s even more powerful.”

Her story is a reminder of what Coach Kay Yow always believed: when people come together around a shared purpose, extraordinary things happen.

One survivor. One game. One question.

What more could I do to help?

The answer continues to ripple outward through students, schools, businesses, and communities working together to make a difference in the fight against cancer.