By Sam Reeves

We here at ASS are having a charity raffle to donate to the American Cancer Society (ACS), during the week of May 21-28. For every $1 donated, you will be entered into a raffle for a chance to win one of several prizes!

We wanted to raise money for cancer research because as everyone is aware, cancer is a horrible, and unforgiving illness. Many people have lost family and friends to cancer, and no matter how far advances have come, it still is not curable. We chose the ACS as our charity because of the incredible work they have done, and will continue to do.

Cancer has affected our site staff personally. My grandfather passed away from pancreatic cancer, one of my family members has thankfully been in remission from thyroid cancer, and another family member currently having Lymphoma. There are so many people affected by this illness, and it is something that the world has been trying to figure out for a very long time. With support from those kind enough to help, there can be significant progress made to finding a cure, and helping those in need.

There are others who have had this hit much closer to home. Our own Jacki Krestel experienced first hand the pain her husband, Wes, went through not that long ago. Here is what Jacki had to say about her experience with her husband:

“In 2019, my world was turned upside down when my husband was diagnosed with cancer. We were completely blindsided. He was so young–our kids were just two and five years old. He had no family history of anything like this and had always been obnoxiously healthy. But here we were, and in a moment, everything changed. Nothing else mattered–there was a life-and-death battle in front of us, and it had to be all hands on deck.

In the year that followed, he endured three surgeries, two rounds of chemotherapy, a round of radiation, and countless emergency visits and scans and labs. We were one of the lucky ones-Wes has been in remission for almost three years. As I reflect, I can’t imagine having done all of that without support.

That’s why I couldn’t be prouder that All Sports Scene is fundraising for the American Cancer Society. They provide support for cancer patients from all angles, from research and lobbying to prevention and screening. It’s a very worthy cause that that’s very near to my heart.  Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for your donation.”

Cancer has also deeply affected our Editor-in-Chief, Celeste Spaghetti. In fact, we chose May 21 as the start date for our ACS drive because this day marks the one year anniversary of when Celeste lost her dad to cancer at the young age of 62. Mr. Spaghetti was an avid lover of all sports-Da Bears, Illini, and Blackhawks, but most of all the Chicago White Sox. He was also one of the most loving people on Earth, giving back to several charities and helping underprivileged students with the financial means to attend the University of Illinois.

The link to donate and enter the raffle can be found by clicking here. Prizes include bobbleheads, gift cards, and much more! We here at ASS thank you all so much for your support for a cause so personal to all of us.