On October 10th, Wayzata football lost to Maple Grove, but with so many people generously donating to cancer research, the game was a success!

Wayzata’s Tackle Cancer games (varsity on October 10th and flag on the 11th) were put on by the Randy Shaver Cancer Research and Community Fund, an organization dedicated to raising funds for cancer research. Randy Shaver was a Minnesota based news anchor, but since 2012, his foundation has raised over $4.1 million for cancer research.

Wayzata’s support for these games and the cause was truly impressive. The theme of the varsity game was “pink-out” in support of breast cancer. At the flag games, there was no shortage of players, referees, or spectators.

According to a key organizer of the events as well as a National Honor Society advisor and teacher, Ms. Ellis, “It’s such an incredible thing to see a community come together in that way for such an important cause.”

The games were a great way to combine support for a cause and friendly competition. Players and spectators at the flag football games had a lot of fun and seemed really happy to be there. “Seeing all the flag football teams together during the participants meeting with smiles on their faces” was a favorite memory of the games for Ms. Ellis.

At the games, multiple donation options were offered, including T-shirt sales and donation buckets carried by National Honor Society volunteers. In the week leading up to the games there were more T-shirt (as well as bandanas) sold in commons.

The bandanas sold were all different colors to represent various forms of cancer, with lavender representing all cancer. At these sale tables, there was a free option to write the name of a loved one who has struggled with cancer on a ribbon (also color coded). National Honor Society plans to arrange these ribbons on a wall to show how many Wayzata students and staff are affected by cancer, and to get people to donate what they can for such an important cause.