The Baldwin County School District (BCSD) posthumously hosted Tasha Butts Day last Friday at Baldwin High School in partnership with Atrium Health Navicent, the Georgia Alliance for Breast Cancer, and KayYow Cancer Fund. Tasha Butts Day is a day to honor a former Baldwin High School Bravette, coach, and champion for the under-resourced. Butts was a servant leader committed to breaking down barriers to quality cancer healthcare.
The program began at 11 a.m. and included an introduction to the Kay Yow Cancer Fund and its mission. It also included the awarding of a grant to Atrium Health Navicent, and a proclamation of Tasha Butts Day.
Butts is a Baldwin High School legend, a shining example of what it means to be a Bravette. Graduating in 2000, Butts was a consensus high school All-American and was awarded the Georgia Gatorade Player of the Year award. Her high school jersey, No. 23, was retired in December of that year.
Following high school, Butts went on to attend the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Sports Management with a minor in Business Administration. During her time at Tennessee, Butts was a member of four regular-season SEC Championship Teams, three Final Fours, and two National Championship games in her junior and senior seasons.
In 2004, she was named to the All-NCAA Midwest Regional Team, the All-SEC Team, and the AP All-SEC Team. She was also honored for her contributions off the court, being named to the All-SEC Community team. Butts traveled all over the world, playing professional basketball in Portugal, Israel, and in the WNBA for the Houston Comets, Charlotte Sting, and Minnesota Lynx.
In 2023, Butts achieved her dream of becoming a head coach on the national stage when she was officially named Head Women's Basketball Coach for Georgetown University.
Butts’ achievements extend far beyond basketball. In August of 2004, the city of Milledgeville awarded her the Key to the City and proclaimed it “Tasha Butts Day,” and in 2022, Butts became a national advocate for equal access to quality health care during her breast cancer prognosis.
In 2023, Tasha lost her two-year battle with breast cancer, her legacy lives on through this event. Tasha Butts Day will continue to be a celebration of Tasha, women’s empowerment, and our ability to collectively make an impact in the fight against all cancers affecting women.
- Contributed