Cyclone Nation joins fight against cancer in support of St. Jude
Published 12:01 am Friday, September 20, 2019
1 of 1
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders Each time the Elizabethton Cyclones take the field they burst through the banner proclaiming the Cyclones have joined the Touchdowns for Cancer nationwide effort and are the only school in East Tennessee that is participating in the campaign.
BY IVAN SANDERS
STAR SPORTS EDITOR
September has been an exciting time around the Cyclone football team as the team has been undefeated to this point in their season. But there is another battle that hasn’t been won and that is the battle against cancer, especially childhood cancer, and for that reason, the Cyclones have joined a nationwide effort to raise money to research and defeat the disease once and for all.
As one of the only teams in East Tennessee to be participating in the benefit fundraiser, the team has been asking fans to go online and register to donate money for each touchdown the Cyclones score in the month of September.
According to an update on the Cyclone Touchdown Club website, an estimated $1,060 has been raised toward the team goal of $2500 with tonight’s game against Grainger County and next week’s Homecoming contest against Cherokee the last two games remaining in the month to reach the goal.
It will be a special night tonight as the Cyclones are hosting ‘Go Gold Night’ as gold represents Childhood Cancer Awareness month and according to Elizabethton Athletic Director Forrest Holt there will be buckets passed around to receive donations to go to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital as part of the campaign.
Holt said, “If everyone that attends the game tonight could contribute a couple of dollars each fan it would help make a huge impact in helping to find a cure for childhood cancer.”
The Cyclones currently stand at 17th in the nation out of 252 teams that have made donations to the campaign. Currently, the Chopticon Braves out of Maryland are in first place with donations of $4,654.
For one of the campaign’s overseeing organizers, Bev Davis, the campaign lies close to home as her son, Hunter, has faced the battle against cancer and is cancer-free today.
“Unfortunately, there are many children & teens, even in the TriCities, diagnosed with cancer each year,” said Davis. “My son is one of them!
“Hunter was diagnosed with Leukemia when he was 14. Rather than playing football & playing in the band, the way he planned, he spent his freshman year at St. Jude in Memphis.
“Thanks to them, he returned to continue high school at EHS and remains cancer-free as a senior this year. So, you can understand why this is a personal cause for our family.”
There are some amazing statistics found on the St. Jude website about childhood cancer including the following:
Cancer Statistics
- Cancer is diagnosed each year in about 175,000 children ages 14 and under worldwide.
- Cancer is the leading cause of death by disease past infancy for U.S. children.
- However, thanks to better therapies, more than 80% of U.S. childhood cancer patients now become long-term survivors.
- Survival rates can vary depending on the type of cancer.
- About 420,000 childhood cancer survivors live in the U.S., with many more around the world.
For fans that cannot make it to the game, you can go online and make donations under the Cyclones name at www.touchdownsagainstcancer.com. All contributions are tax-deductible
Fans can also keep track on the website on how the Cyclones are doing in the campaign.
