Each year, Orono High School Men’s and Women’s soccer teams hold a Kick Cancer game to benefit a cancer charity that has special meaning to their program. They’ve always been happy with their fundraising efforts, but in 2018, they decided to kick it up a notch when senior soccer player Emerson Nord’s father Keith was diagnosed with cancer. Keith was a longtime supporter of Children’s Cancer Research Fund, so both teams made it their mission to support CCRF in his honor.

In the past, the Orono soccer teams have shared their fundraising efforts through emails and social media, and they took up a collection in-person at the Kick Cancer game. This year, the teams were able to use CCRF’s online fundraising tool, which, in combination with sales of “Nord Strong” t-shirts to honor Keith, resulted in overwhelming support for the teams’ fundraiser, Orono Soccer Kick Cancer Fundraiser. The team fundraised tirelessly through their Fundraise Your Way page, emails, social media, t-shirt sales and in-person collection. Sadly, Keith passed away just weeks before the Kick Cancer soccer game in early October, but the teams were able to present CCRF with a check of $3,400 in his honor.

“We were reminded what an amazing community we have,” said Lynn Johnston, whose daughter is on the team and who helped coordinate the fundraising. “We also learned what an inspirational person Keith was through this fundraising. We learned that when we feel helpless, like when there is nothing you can do to help Keith and his grieving family, raising money in his honor was a huge highlight for them. It gave them something to look forward to and smile about.”

A big thank-you to Orono High School Men’s and Women’s soccer teams for their support and to Keith for his longtime support of CCRF!