The boy is currently in remission, which means most of his cancer is gone, but his family says he will still have to go through another two-and-a-half years of chemotherapy.
RELATED: 13-year-old may never fully recover after getting hit by SUV
On Saturday, 14 Springfield Fire Rescue Division firefighters and 15 Springfield Police Division officers will take part in a charity basketball game to raise money for Sam and his family.
“I thought what if this is my kid?,” said firefighter and event organizer, Matt Ray. “And that kind of changed it for me.”
Ray went to high school with Sam’s mom and his wife works in the same school district that Sam attends. He found out everything the family was going through via social media.
“I started planning this probably in December,” he said.
The game is open to anyone in the community and will be held at noon at the Global Impact STEM Academy, located at 700 S. Limestone Street.
Doors open at 10:45 a.m. on Saturday, and aside from the game, Ray said there will also be raffles, food and t-shirts for sale.
THINGS TO DO: Got plans this weekend? List of happenings in Clark, Champaign counties
Ray said several businesses reached out to help with raffle items. In addition, the Buffalo Wild Wings on Bechtle Avenue will donate 15% of all of the restaurant’s sales to Sam’s family from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday if patrons mention that they are there for Sam’s benefit.
“It really showed me what Springfield is about,” Ray said. “It shows we rally. We rally around our own.”
Sam’s mom, Carah Powers, said it’s people like Matt that have made the sometimes never-ending battle of cancer — much easier.
She said Sam is usually shy around new people or experiences, but he’s grown to like the attention.
Powers has been impressed with the strength of her son, her family, the community and even complete strangers.
“It’s just something really generous,” she said. “And it goes to show that a lot of people have more humanity than we like to address.”
About the Author