By Mary Jane Souder
The goal of raising $50,000 for this year’s Central Bucks Coaches vs. Cancer was ambitious by any standard but apparently not for the students who comprised this year’s student committee.
With contributions still coming in and two Eat to Beat Cancer nights not taken into account, this year’s event has already raised more than $100,000.
“All of the committee worked extremely hard for the past six or seven months, especially our chairperson, Courtney Webster,” said East senior Ben Kardane. “The amount she did behind the scenes of the event was one of the main reasons we got to the $100,000 mark.
“It was a total team effort, and we all worked our butts off because we all know that the biggest fight of all is to help find a cure for cancer.”
Kardane is a member of the committee and East’s basketball team, and Webster, despite chairing an event that requires a year’s worth of planning, also is a member of the basketball team.
“There are so many life lessons I’ve learned through this,” Webster said. “There are lessons you can’t get anywhere else.
“You learn how to work together, how to communicate with people, and it’s just so rewarding to know you can make a difference and watch a community pull together and make something like this happen.”
Saturday’s Coaches vs. Cancer event at CB East highlighted a series of events that began with the “Central Bucks – United Against Cancer, Two Rivals – One Cause” girls/boys basketball doubleheader against Central Bucks West on Jan. 29.
Archrivals on the court, the players became friends off the court as they united for a cause.
Senior Peyton Traina, a member of West’s basketball squad, undertook the task of coordinating the sale of t-shirts at her school.
“I was a little skeptical at first when they said, ‘You should come help,’ but they’re all great girls, and it was great to work with them,” Traina said. “At West, we were mainly focused on getting the t-shirts sold and forming the senior boys’ team and getting everything together since it was our first year of really being part of this.
“It was actually kind of a bonding thing. It was really cool to get know them. I have four siblings that all played CBAA, so we’ve always been involved with that organization and helping out with this event. I was really grateful I could help out in my own way in my high school and really make a difference.”
CB West – according to Webster – raised $6,000 in its initial year of involvement.
In addition to receiving the support of CBAA, the event also benefited from the help of corporate sponsors. Topping the list was Johnson & Johnson, which donated $20,000. A surprise $15,000 contribution came on Saturday from CI&T, a firm from Brazil that partners with Johnson & Johnson for web site development.
“They’re looking for ways to give back domestically in the U.S. because we have such a great partnership,” said Will Kane of Johnson & Johnson. “This is a good example of them joining us locally to support the cause here, and obviously, it’s very generous.
“I think that’s going to be the donation that puts the amount over the top this year. It was a great surprise for the kids that have been working so long on this to see another corporation come out and support the event.”
Prior to Saturday’s event, Kane, a graduate of Upper Dublin, worked with several East students with no computer programming background and taught them how to build a web site highlighting the event.
“It’s always great when big corporations can give financially, but we all agree that giving your time and volunteering is even more important and priceless,” said Kane. “There are a lot of J&J employees who live in the area, and to see them get behind the cause has been really valuable to help the momentum of an event that started seven years ago grow into what it is today. Everything coming together so nicely is really a joint effort.”
Ten Johnson & Johnson employees participated in Saturday’s event, not only handing out products but also helping with the 3-of-3 tournaments that highlighted the day.
The $15,000 contribution CI&T was an unexpected but welcome surprise.
“I found out about it this morning,” Webster said. “It was great news. Any sponsor is so good, but to have such a significant contribution to add to the total is so rewarding.”
Saturday’s basketball event not only attracted students and community residents, several East alums who were part of the planning committee when they were students travelled back to the area to be part of this year’s event.
Elle Durkac, a 2012 East grad who chaired the committee as a senior, made the four-hour trip from Quinnipiac, and she marveled at the event’s growth.
“My sister is one of the starters, so when she did it seven years ago, it started off being a couple people here and there would join in,” Durkac said. “Looking at it now, we have so many different communities joining.
“We have the rivals CB East and CB West. We have teachers from middle school and high school. It just has expanded so much, and it’s amazing to see how much it’s grown in a short amount of time and how everyone comes together to help this cause.”
Durkac would have been at last year’s event as well, but she was snowbound at Quinnipiac. This year she made the trip to help fight cancer.
“Everyone has been touched by cancer in one way,” she said. “My aunts have had it, my dog had it, and I know a lot of people who have suffered from it.
“It was too soon for them to pass away, and I would like, at some point, to get a cure for this.”
Sean Usowskii, a 2013 East grad who was a member of last year’s committee, travelled from Penn State to be at Saturday’s event.
“I really enjoy the event,” he said. “I love being around basketball. I didn’t play basketball in high school, but there’s so much school spirit here.
“The community is amazing. Different people come out every year and donate money. It’s all for a good cause.”
Fighting cancer is personal for Usowski.
“My dad is a two-time cancer survivor, so I wanted to get involved raising money for cancer,” he said. “When I was a freshman in high school, I started getting involved in Coaches vs. Cancer through one of my travel basketball coaches. I really enjoy the event.”
Saturday’s main event featured over 250 third through 12th graders participating in the 3-on-3 tournament. Ten CBAA teams displayed their skills, and the CB East teachers and seniors also took part in exhibition games. Alvin Williams from the Academy of Hoops put on a basketball clinic. The Kutz Elementary Jump Rope Team performed, and Sam Presti, Alex Veltri and Shannon Walker gave presentations.
More than 50 volunteers kept the event running smoothly. Highlighting the day was a presentation to Manny Garcia, President of CBAA Basketball, from the Central Bucks Coaches vs. Cancer, CBAA and his former CBAA team – the “PACK” – thanking him for his 17 years of service to the Central Bucks Athletic Association as coach and leader.
Eat to Beat Cancer nights were held at Artistic Pizza, Panera Bread, Uno Pizzeria and Grill, and Chipotle. One event remains – the final Eat to Beat Cancer Night will be held on at Candlewyck in Buckingham on Monday, Feb. 10, 4 p.m. to closing.
“Our goal was originally $50,000, but we got to that in our pre-event things, so we changed it to $75,000,” Webster said
This year’s event not only doubled the committee’s original goal of $50,000 but also proved that the sky is the limit.
2014 Coaches vs. Cancer Student Committee
Courtney Webster '14, Chairperson
Anja Fenner, '14
Bennett Kardane, '14
Brendan O'Neil, '14
Caroline Shields, '14
Karoline White, '14
Lauren Burrell, '15
Moira Devlin, '15
Michelle Iaquinto, '15
Carter Usowski, '15
Peyton Traina, '15
Tiemo Fenner, '16
Alex Gibson, '16
Justin O'Neil, '16
Christopher Reilly, '16
Kyra Scaliti, '16
Shannon Walker, '16
- Log in to post comments
