UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, OH – The Fearless Fighters Foundation and John Carroll soccer programs are teaming up to support patients and families fighting pediatric cancer.
On Saturday, August 5, JCU will be the site of an inaugural 3v3 soccer tournament presented by Kaulig Giving, with all proceeds going to families battling pediatric cancer.
There will be four age groups: 8U, 10U, 12U, and 14U. There is a max of 12 teams per age group. The event will take place at Don Shula Stadium. Registration available here: https://fearless-fighters.org/soccer-tournament-registration/
"We're so thrilled to be the host for this event," says JCU Men's Soccer Head Coach Dejan Mladenovic '06. "Cancer is the second leading cause of death in children ages 1-14. As Wenzler's Warriors, we're proud to be an ally to Fearless Foundation in the fight against pediatric cancer."
Fearless Foundation's roots date back to September 2020, when Ed Fink's son, Dylan, was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's T cell histiocyte-rich mature B cell Lymphoma stage IV. This type of cancer is not typical in kids and there are few case reports in adults.
Thankfully, after several months challenging chemo treatments and surgeries, Dylan rang the bell on May 4, 2021, signifying the end of his treatment. Over the course of the preceding months, the Fink family noticed how pediatric cancer can be a huge burden for both patients and families.
"We have been so lucky and so fortunate so far. But we've noticed that there's a huge need to support other families," says Ed Fink. "Lots of kids come from single-parent households or from families with several kids, so kids are by themselves in the hospital much of the time, as parents can't always take off work. Medical bills are a burden, and Dylan ate out every day because he didn't like the hospital food, and that can get expensive, too."
And so, the Fearless Fighters Foundation was born in September 2021, with the mission of providing support for families and hopefully to eventually fund research. The organization is a 100% volunteer based, 501(c)(3), which helps get the most out of the dollars donated.
"We put on events to help raise money to do many different things for kids with pediatric cancer. Every kid battling cancer at Akron Children's Hospital gets one. We give away "I am Fearless" T-Shirts, give Doordash and gas gift cards to families, and sometimes purchase pizza or subs or chicken sandwiches for every kid on the pediatric cancer floor. We've donated for technology and patient support. Eventually, we hope to raise a big enough chunk of change to donate to research."
This is the first year for the soccer tournament, an idea born out of Fink's friendship with professional soccer legend and former JCU head coach Hector Marinaro. The event follows others such as a golf outing and a 5k/fun run.
The tournament will bring together youth soccer players for a fun day at John Carroll. Every kid will get a jersey and medal, with registration set at $25/player. And beyond the soccer, there will be inflatables, games, a DJ, food trucks, a 50/50 raffle, skill competitions, with an overall festival/fair atmosphere. Parents can come for free.
Corporate sponsorships are available starting at $250. If interested or with any general questions, email efink@fearless-fighters.org or info@fearless-fighters.org
Register for the tournament here: https://fearless-fighters.org/soccer-tournament-registration/
