High School Kicker Joe Giglio Raises $1,777 for Kicking For The Dream to Help Fight Ovarian Cancer
Phoenix, AZ (PRWEB) December 03, 2013 -- Surpassing his desired goal of raising $500 this football season, and with 27 days left in the fundraising campaign, Joe Giglio, a kicker for St. John’s College High School has raised $1,777 to help Kicking For The Dream fight ovarian cancer, according to Kicking For The Dream founder NFL kicker Billy Cundiff.
Giglio, who is 17, joined the fight against ovarian cancer after meeting Cleveland Brown’s kicker Billy Cundiff.
“I have always been a true fan of Billy Cundiff,” says Gigilio. “When I finally got the chance to meet him in Florida at a camp that he was helping coach, I heard him give a speech about his mother-in-law and how she was impacted by ovarian cancer.”
Giglio says watching Cundiff talk about his mother-in-law’s battle with cancer was truly inspiring.
“After seeing how passionate Billy was about both kicking and helping women with ovarian cancer, I decided that this horrible illness needed as much attention and help as possible,” says Giglio. “Since I'll be kicking field goals anyway this upcoming season, it was an easy decision for me to join this cause.“
Cundiff, who started Kicking For The Dream last May, says that even though the project has the support of many current and past NFL kickers such as Morten Anderson and Nick Novak, it was only in September that he started to “reach out” to high school kickers.
Go here for Kicking For The Dream.
Cundiff says he is very impressed with what Gigilo, the first high school kicker to sign on to Kicking For The Dream, has done so far.
“Check out his profile http://donate.kickingforthedream.com/josephgiglio on Kicking For The Dream,” says Cundiff. “He has drawn media attention to his campaign, raised awareness, and rallied his community around this special cause. Joe is truly inspirational.”
In his effort to help fight ovarian cancer, Giglio has received a great deal of support from friends and family.
Lisa Harrison donated $100 and said, “Flat donation, cause I am scared how awesome you will be this year! Enjoy the season! Wonderful cause!”
Ethan DeWaal donated $27 to Giglio and posted a note saying, “Joseph you truly are an inspiration to all of us. When I wake up in the morning and go to bed at night, I think of all the great work you do. I love you man, keep up kicking those balls.”
And Ken Giglio donated $200 saying, “$20 x 9 FGs, plus another $20 for good measure. Proud of you!”
Cundiff says Giglio’s friends and family have reason to be proud of him and he hopes Joe’s efforts will inspire other high school kickers.
“Joe was the first high school kicking specialist to join Kicking For Dream, and that in itself is special,” says Cundiff. “I really hope what he is doing, and what he has already done, will inspire other high school kicking specialists to join Kicking For The Dream in its fight again ovarian cancer.”
And together, help to beat ovarian cancer one kick –and kicker- at a time.
With 27 days left in its fundraising campaign, Kicking For The Dream has already reached its first goal of raising $20,000 and has now raised $23,632 of its new goal of $30,000.
To support Joe Giglio’s effort to fight ovarian cancer, go here to his Kicking For The Dream donation page.
About Kicking For The Dream:
Billy Cundiff, who is the kicker for the Cleveland Browns, and has been an NFL kicker for over 10 years for teams such as the Cowboys, Saints, Ravens and Redskins, launched Kicking For The Dream in May of 2013, as an effort to support Colleen’s Dream Foundation, a foundation which raises money to support research for the early detection of, and improved treatment for, ovarian cancer.
About Colleen's Dream Foundation:
Colleen’s Dream Foundation started in 2012 and supports research for early detection and improved treatment for ovarian cancer.
The story of Colleen’s Dream started in 2007 when Billy Cundiff’s mother-in-law, Colleen Drury, was diagnosed with late-stage ovarian cancer. It was only then that Colleen and her family realized a new world that was filled with invasive surgery, harsh chemotherapy, and lots of uncertainty.
Ovarian cancer is often referred to as “the silent killer” because many women do not discover their disease until it is in the late stages, which leads to many women succumbing to the disease within a short period of time. Unlike cervical or breast cancer, ovarian cancer does not have a standardized early detection procedure. When it comes to women’s health, ovarian cancer proves to be one of the deadliest diseases.
Colleen’s Dream Foundation believes it is important to raise money for research that will lead to reliable early detection testing and improved treatment for ovarian cancer. Because so little is known about ovarian cancer in proportion to other women’s health issues, we have an incredible opportunity for research and education.
Colleen’s Dream is working with some of the top research hospitals and universities that are researching ovarian cancer. By offering seed funding to young investigators, the Foundation funds cutting-edge research by some of the brightest, young minds in the world.
Colleen’s Dream Foundation is a qualified 501 (c)(3) tax exempt non-profit organization based in Phoenix, Arizona.
Admin, Kicking For The Dream, +1 (480) 269-2266, [email protected]
Share this article