By Ashley M. Casey

Associate Editor

Baldwinsville’s varsity basketball teams both claimed victory over Liverpool in last Tuesday’s double–header, but they had something more to celebrate than just the points they scored.

The basketball Bees raised $2,900 for Maureen’s Hope Foundation, a Baldwinsville-based organization that supports families dealing with cancer and other life-altering diagnoses. The teams presented their donation to Susan Bertrand, founder and president of Maureen’s Hope, on Feb. 6.

Bertrand called the teams’ contribution “incredible.”

“There’s so much we can do with $2,900. It goes a long way,” she said.

Kathy Morse, girls varsity coach, said the basketball program’s partnership with Maureen’s Hope is a longstanding one.

“We’ve been doing the fundraiser for maybe 18 years,” Morse said. “One of the girls lost a parent [to cancer] early on in my coaching career.”

Jordan Roy, a senior on the girls team, said the teams sold T-shirts and donated the ticket sales from the Feb. 4 game. The teams also held a rubber duck-throwing contest and a half-court shot with a pink ball at the game.

“It’s a good feeling knowing it’s going to a good cause,” Roy said.

Daniel Fabrizio, a senior on the boys team, said he was already familiar with Maureen’s Hope through the football team, which participates Carry a Bead, part of the Beads of Courage initiative at Maureen’s Hope. Athletes bring a bead with them onto the court, field, or rink, and then send the bead back to Maureen’s Hope with a note of encouragement for cancer patients at Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital.

“It’s nice to give back,” Fabrizio said.

Morse and Bertrand said it is important for kids to learn how to give back to their community.

“I think it’s important for them to see how they can help out,” Morse said. “Most of these kids have known somebody that’s had cancer, which is obviously a terrible disease.”

“The good feeling goes both ways. The families are helped and the kids get to know they’ve given back,” Bertrand said.

To put the basketball Bees’ donation in perspective, Bertrand said the teams’ donation could pay for nearly half of the Easter baskets Maureen’s Hope provides for kids at Golisano.

“We do 75 baskets. A donation like this would cover 29 baskets for kids,” Bertrand said.

Maureen’s Hope began providing Easter baskets at Golisano about 12 years ago.

“So many people do things at Christmastime and I reached out to the hospital. The kids would think, ‘Does the Easter Bunny not come to the hospital?’” Bertrand said.

To learn more about Maureen’s Hope, visit maureenshope.org. The organization’s popular iBelieve event returns March 29 at the Palace Theatre. This year’s iBelieve will feature guests such as Dr. Kaushal Nanavati, medical director of integrative therapy at Upstate Cancer Center; Jason Smorol, general manager of the Syracuse Mets; and Tom Varano, speed painter and motivational speaker.