High School Kicker Luke Taylor Raises $1,331 for Kicking For The Dream to Help Fight Ovarian Cancer
Phoenix, AZ (PRWEB) December 12, 2013 -- Surpassing his desired goal of raising $500 this football season, and with 18 days left in the fundraising campaign, Luke Taylor, a kicker for the Black Hills High School in Tumwater, WA, has raised $1,331 to help Kicking For The Dream fight ovarian cancer according to Kicking For The Dream founder NFL kicker Billy Cundiff.
"We are honored that Luke joined Kicking For The Dream," says Cundiff. "It's apparent he has rallied his community around this cause that means so much to us. It is guys like Luke that have made Kicking For The Dream so special."
Taylor says he first heard of Kicking For The Dream when he attended a Billy Cundiff kicking camp in Boise, ID. It was in between kicking lessons where Cundiff introduced the project –created to fight ovarian cancer- to the campers.
“I went to the camp with my mom,” says Taylor. “When he started talking about what he had to go through with his mother-in-law, I glanced over to my mom and knew I had to be involved. I couldn't imagine what I would do if she had to go through this...so I knew I wanted to be part of this fund-raiser.”
Taylor said he didn’t know what to expect from friends, family and teammates when he signed on to Kicking For The Dream, but it turned out the results were very positive.
“I got a lot more involvement that I thought I would,” says Taylor. “I didn't really know what to expect, but I was really glad for the positive feedback I got, people were excited to be a part of it. When I posted it on Facebook, a lot of my teammates were proud of me for being a part of it.”
Taylor says he set up his fundraising efforts based on his performance, or on a direct donation.
“I set up my fund-raising by field goals, touch backs, and PAT's,” says Taylor. “Field goals were worth $3.00, touchbacks were worth $2.00 and PAT's were worth $1.00. There was also an option to do a one- time donation.”
He says he is surprised that he has surpassed his goal but that he had amazing support.
“I was really happy and surprised when I surpassed my goal,” says Taylor. “People were really receptive to the fundraiser, and they wanted to be involved.”
One very special donor showed her support to Taylor by giving him a $300 donation; the largest single donation of his fundraising effort. The donation came with a very special message which said, “Luke, I am so proud to be your little sister. You are the light I follow. Julia.”
To join Julia, and others who have supported Taylor’s effort to fight ovarian cancer, go here to his Kicking For The Dream donation page.
With 18 days left in its fundraising campaign, Kicking For The Dream has already reached its first goal of raising $20,000 and has now raised $26,329 of its new goal of $30,000.
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]
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