Fourth Annual Cancer Awareness game will take place when STLCC hosts MCC-Penn Valley on Feb. 21 at STLCC-Forest Park
By: SPENCER GLEASON
Editor in Cheif
The fourth annual STLCC Cancer Awareness game is set to take place on Saturday, Feb. 21 at the gymnasium on the STLCC-Forest Park campus.
The event is scheduled to take place during the STLCC women’s basketball game. Tipoff for the Lady Archers scheduled for 1 p.m.
Festivities include a pep band, as well as raffles, a concessions and silent auctions throughout the game. There will be multiple giveaway prizes.
Silent auction items in prior years included bidding on hotel stays, Gateway Grizzlies’ baseball tickets, restaurant gift certificates and an autographed baseball from former St. Louis Cardinal and STLCC-Meramec alum David Freese.
Special T-shirts will be available for sale marking the occasion.
The halftime show will consist of an award winning pom-pom squad and a Little Dribblers exhibition basketball game.
“The most important thing is that we make people aware of this horrible disease,” Lady Archers’ Head Coach Shelly Ethridge said.
In previous years, the money raised went toward Kane Weinberg, a 20-year-old battling leukemia.
Last season, the event raised $3,050 for Weinberg.
This season, the money raised will be presented to two families. Braelynn French, 4, and Jacob Swiderski, 11, are both battling brain cancer.
“We’re trying to help these two little kids out,” Ethridge said.
The two children have ties to Ethridge and Meramec.
Shae French, Braelynn’s mom, played for Ethridge during the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons. And Joe Swiderski, Jacob’s father, works in the PE Building at Meramec.
Jacob Swiderski has been battling brain cancer for nine years.
“He’s been through [several] years of chemo,” Ethridge said. “Three years of radiation and five surgeries.”
The Cancer Awareness game is played in memory of Ethridge’s father, Mike Ethridge, who died in December 2011. Ethridge’s mom, Judy, died of lung cancer three weeks ago, in January.
As the Lady Archers’ final regular season home game, the matchup against Metropolitan Community College-Penn Valley will also mark Sophomore Day.
The six Lady Archer sophomores on roster will be acknowledged prior to their game.
Sophomores Deborah Holcomb, Khalilah Morrow, Tiara Bradley, Dajae Williams, Brandy Ward and Lorielle Little will all be honored.
