By Chris Raimondi, Sports Editor
Head coach of the Kennesaw State volleyball team Keith Schunzel announced that Friday night’s game against NJIT will serve as the inaugural Griffin’s Game.
The game will help raise money, awareness and support for Schunzel’s son, Griffin, as well as family friends Brooks Perry and Becky Kent, who are all battling cancer.
“Griffin’s game is our way of directly impacting two wonderful families who are courageously battling this terrible disease called cancer as well as continuing to raise awareness,” Schunzel said. “Griffin’s game is about hope, love and community. Any amount of money raised, big or small, will 100% go into these families’ pockets to help them with whatever needs they have.”
The game begins at 7 p.m. in the Convocation Center where there will be a number of ways to support the cause. There will be “Fight like Griffin” T-shirts available for $10, along with collection buckets and links to GoFundMe accounts for each of the families.
All of the money raised will go directly to the families.
Former KSU softball coach Scott Whitlock helped inspire Griffin’s game with his development of Lexi’s Game, a day the softball team holds annually to support Lexi Kaiser, a 12-year old girl diagnosed with cerebral palsy.
Schunzel, Griffin and his wife Briana met Brooks at Scottish Rite Children’s Hospital. Becky is the mother of the Director of Sport Performance Jeremy Gough at KSU. Griffin, Brooks and Becky are all expected to be in attendance at the game.
“Bri, Griffin and I have felt so much love and support in our own fight,” Schunzel said. “From very personal experience, when people give money it’s about so much more than the money, it’s their way of saying, we love you, keep fighting and we’re with you.
“And in the best way we know how to, we want Brooks, Becky and their families to know and feel that we’re here for them, that people love them and that the best way to fight something is with people who care standing right beside you.”
Griffin, who turns 3 in December was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in March. Brooks, 4, has Neuroblastoma, which is a cancer that develops from immature nerve cells found in several areas of the body. Becky was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer called Leiomyosarcoma.
Griffin’s Game story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAplDwU2Xuo
Brooks Perry GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/brooksperry
Becky Kent GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/BeckysLMSBattle
