Welcome to the first issue of our inaugural newsletter, “The Huddle”, which we hope will be a helpful source of news and information for the teammates, donors, volunteers, and friends of the Cancer Kickers Soccer Club. To keep everyone in on the game plan, we encourage you to sign up on our website to continue to receive this newsletter, which will be published quarterly.
Your gift to the Cancer Kickers Soccer Club allows us to provide the comfort, community, and connections these kids need to make their battle with cancer a little easier. Together, we can rise above the statistics and kick cancer to the curb!
This tough fighter is 15 years old. Wilson is battling Ewing Sarcoma.
Wilson was diagnosed on September 29, 2020, after experiencing extreme pain and swelling of her left knee. She is currently on her last cycle of chemotherapy and is re-learning how to walk.
Wilson has been playing soccer for over eight years, many of those years competitively. She loves her family, friends, God, and loves to give hugs.
Her mom shares, “It’s been an all-around tough year. Instead of enjoying her freshman year of high school and fulfilling her dream of playing high school soccer with her big sisters, Wilson spent the school year doing chemotherapy and having limb salvage and tumor resection surgery.”
Meet Marek...
This handsome boy is six years old. Marek is battling Standard Risk-High B-cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia (SR-High B-ALL).
On June 11, 2020, Marek’s parents received a devastating phone call that would forever change their lives. They were told by doctors that their son had cancer. The past year of Marek’s life has included hospital stays, clinic visits, intense treatments, chemotherapy, and medical tests.
Marek very recently finished up his fifth and final phase of intense treatment. We are happy to say that his body is responding well! Marek is now in the maintenance phase of treatment.
His dad shares, “Outside of Marek’s illness he is a very kind, loving, and caring boy.”
Cancer Kickers Soccer Club was honored to be featured in a “Bright Spot” segment on News Channel 3 Memphis this past March. It was a privilege to have the opportunity to interview two CKSC families, the Grimsleys and the Mellens, who both have children being treated at St. Jude, and hear first-hand how the efforts of our organization have made a positive difference in the lives of their children, Caleb and Olivia. As James Grimsley said, “St. Jude might’ve saved his life but organizations like Chris and Michelle's Cancer Kickers Soccer Club gave him life back.” Kacie Mellen added,
“They are doing a lot of great things and I think are really invested in making sure these kids
Tell us about yourself: My name is Kim Talley, 65 years young. I was born and reared in Memphis, TN, but did live in Blue Springs, MO for about 6 years, then moved back to Memphis many years ago to be around family.
What piqued your interest/how did you get started volunteering with CKSC? I heard through the soccer grapevine that CKSC could use some help in writing letters to the kids, and I thought that it would be something that I could easily do.
How long have you been volunteering with CKSC? I started in January 2021.
What is your favorite part about volunteering? Knowing that by sending a letter of encouragement and some playful/comforting cards that a little bit of joy has been brought into a child's/parent's day. Ainsley had mentioned to me about a mother whose child had had a pretty rough time, and their letter came at the right moment. Simple...bring comfort, bring joy.
What is a fun fact about you? Best Grandma ever!! (tongue-in cheek). Love to travel
Our story is one of a family that loves giving. The Cancer Kickers Soccer Club was started as a family passion project in 2016 by Chris and me, and since then, it has continued to enrich the lives daily of our family. We have been moved by each teammate’s resiliency, and are blessed to learn from these families as they maintain a positive outlook even in the bleakest of times. Thank you for taking the time to read our first Newsletter, "The Huddle", a place where we hope to continue to share our mission and bring you inspiring stories.
This summer, the Cancer Kickers Soccer Club partnered with four local soccer camps in an effort to spread awareness of our organization. We were proud to work with Soccer Olé, Carl Schmitt Soccer Camps, ELT (Elite Level Training) Camp, and Christian Brothers High School and we loved seeing all of those Cancer Kickers Soccer Club jerseys out on the field. We look forward to continuing to partner with local soccer organizations throughout the year.
In June, we were honored to host theDirect Marketing One-Time Giving team from ALSAC/St. Jude Children's Research Hospital at our Cancer Kickers offices. The team is led by Hayley Daniel, Sr. Director, Direct Marketing, who provided lunch for her team members in our conference room followed by meetings and team-building activities in our multi-purpose space. Michelle Clothier, a founder, took a moment to briefly present our mission and impact on the community.
Each of our spaces is equipped with whiteboards and a smart TV available for use during your event. This was a first for us here at Cancer Kickers Soccer Club, but we look forward to opening our doors and sharing our story with other local groups in the future.
.jpg?upscale=true&width=200&upscale=true&name=REI%20Nation%20logo%20(1).jpg)
.jpg?upscale=true&width=200&upscale=true&name=901%20cup%20logo%20(1).jpg)
.png?upscale=true&width=150&upscale=true&name=Magis%20logo%20(1).png)
