All-Star Tournament players asked to help support the MACC Fund
By Tracy Ouellette
Editor
East Troy High School seniors Katrina Santos and Jake Nixon were recently selected to play in the 2016 All-Star Tournament June 17 and 18 at the JustaGame Fieldhouse in Wisconsin Dells.
Santos, who will play for the South Division 3 team said one of the special things about the All-Star Tournament is that it’s being used as a fund raiser for the MACC (Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer) Fund. Each player has to raise at least $500 for the fund to play in the games.
Santos said she was honored to be chosen for the team, “but I also take great pride in being an easy link for my community to act on any calling they have to donate and be one of the many saviors of a child who won against cancer.”
Santos and Nixon are actively seeking donations in the community over the next several weeks, as well as being contributors themselves.
“By contributing any amount you are not supporting only one life or two; that is far too literal. You are supporting the thousands of families fighting cancer all at once with one donation,” Santos said. “The MACC Fund’s research produces results. These results have helped save people who I personally care very much about, they have saved people who my friends and family have cared about, and they will continue to save people who I have yet to know that will be perhaps someday unfortunately diagnosed.
“It is said, according to childhood cancer statistics, that 43 children are diagnosed with cancer every day. There are no guarantees that in the near future that one of those children won’t be someone someday who we ourselves know and care about very much.”
While the athletes are not planning a formal fundraiser for this, they are asking for the community’s support to raise awareness and money for the cause.
“I want people to know the difference that the MACC Fund has made,” Santos said. “The MACC Fund is a nonprofit organization and thanks to help and donations of other contributors like us, the MACC Fund has been an imperative factor toward raising the overall cure rate for childhood cancer from 20 percent to 80 percent in the past four decades.”
Santos said the All-Star Games’ contributions to the MACC Fund have raised more than $2.1 million since its origination in 1978.
Nixon and Santos have tickets available for any donor who wants one. The cost of the game at the door in the Dells is $10.
“I am encouraged to invite as many people as possible to promote the cause and to raise awareness,” Santos said. “I was given unlimited tickets to hand out as I deem necessary to any donors – there is no fixed donation amount for a donor to meet in order to receive as many tickets as they’d like, within reason. And I am more than happy to supply for anyone who would like to attend and support the cause.”
For more information, and/or tickets to the game, email Santos at katrinasantos16@easttroy.k12.wi.us.
