Barnes, Reed-Francois will headline ‘Bear Down Celebration’

•           What: University of Arizona Arthritis Center Bear Down Celebration presented by Desert Diamond Casino
•           When: Thursday, Oct. 10, 5:30-7 p.m.
•           Where: Health Sciences Innovation Building, 1670 E. Drachman St., Tucson

TUCSON, Arizona – Building on a long tradition of mutual support, the University of Arizona Arthritis Center at the U of A College of Medicine – Tucson will team up with U of A Intercollegiate Athletics on Oct. 10 for the Bear Down Celebration to benefit the center and its research, outreach and education efforts. 

Ticket purchasers and sponsors are invited to a one-of-a-kind experience as U of A women’s basketball coach Adia Barnes and her team offer guests an inside look at the 2024-25 basketball season and beyond.

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In addition to Barnes, U of A Vice President and Director of Athletics Desireé Reed-Francois, the first female athletic director in the university’s history, will share insights on the transition to the Big 12 Conference and the Wildcats’ numerous academic and athletic achievements.

Barnes is the leading scorer in Arizona women’s basketball history and a WNBA Champion. She returned to her alma mater as head coach in April 2016. Through her first six seasons as head coach, Barnes became the second-winningest coach in school history and the first coach coach in program history to win 20 or more games in five consecutive seasons. 

The 2023-24 season saw the Wildcats earn their fourth straight and 11th overall bid to the NCAA Tournament. In 2021, Barnes led the Wildcats to the NCAA National Championship game, the first time the U of A advanced past the Sweet 16 in history. 

Reed-Francois, a veteran college athletics administrator, is the U of A’s 11th athletic director. Reed-Francois is an accomplished fundraiser and relationship builder who has transformed two collegiate athletic departments into high-performing, cost-effective operations. She has deep ties to the University of Arizona, where she earned her juris doctorate from the James E. Rogers College of Law in 1997.

The RSVP deadline for ticket purchases and sponsorships is Oct. 3. To purchase tickets, visit https://arthritis.arizona.edu/bear-down-celebration. For questions, please email livinghealthy@arthritis.arizona.edu or call 520-626-4111.

The Bear Down Celebration began with the arrival of Hall of Fame basketball coach Lute Olson at the U of A in 1983. To date, the event has raised nearly $2 million for the Arthritis Center, paving the way to advanced diagnostics, treatments and preventive measures for rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases.

The Arthritis Center, a center of excellence at the U of A College of Medicine – Tucson, is a research leader with a focus on identifying the causes of arthritis and developing improved diagnostics and treatments for this and other rheumatological diseases.