He may have basketball on his mind with Atlantic Coast Conference games looming next week, but yesterday Virginia Tech Hokies guard Sean Pedulla was at Carilion Children’s-Tanglewood, painting sneakers in bright colors for his coaches to wear next month during a game as part of the “Coaches versus Cancer” awareness campaign. The Tech men’s and women’s teams both decorated sneakers the last few days along with Carilion Children’s patients that have battled pediatric cancer. The women’s team coaching staff will wear then in a home game on January 12 versus Louisville; the men’s team staff vs. Syracuse at home January 28.

An event designed to raise awareness for pediatric cancer patients at Carilion Children’s starts with painted sneakers – and the Hokies basketball squads. More from WFIR’s Gene Marrano: