Playing for a Cause

photos courtesy of negu.org

Never Ever Give Up (NEGU), a foundation meant to brighten children with cancers’ days, is partnering with East to tell the story of Jessie Rees and raise money to produce Joy Jars for children suffering from cancer. The partnership began on Lancer Day during the parade and football game.

NEGU began with twelve-year-old Jessie Rees, who was diagnosed with a brain tumor on March 3, 2011. Rees’s unique treatment plan of 30 rounds of radiation and a daily dose of chemotherapy allowed her to go home every day from the hospital. Yet, Rees wanted to help the kids forced to stay at the hospital. Rees stuffed brown paper sacks with her own stuffed animals and toys, decorated them and delivered them to other kids in the hospital with cancer. The brown paper bags were then changed to plastic jars — now known as Joy Jars. 

Jars are made specifically for each age group and gender. For example, a Joy Jar meant for a baby could have a rattle or a waterproof bath book. For an older child, it could be a Rubik’s Cube or Earbuds. Rees had one rule — no cheesy toys. If it could be found in a happy meal at McDonalds, it wasn’t allowed. 

Currently NEGU is doing a hand challenge — a social media campaign where participants write “I” on their right hand and “NEGU” on their left hand. Participants post a picture of it on their Instagram, Facebook or Twitter with the hashtag “#I NEGU do you?” For every post, an anonymous donor donates $25 — the cost of a Joy Jar. The goal is 2,000 posts, to bring a total of $50,000 to make Joy Jars.

 “It doesn’t matter who you are,” NEGU representative for the Lancer Day football game Maddie Dilfur said. “You could be grandma or Tom Brady — we just need the posts.” 

The partnership between East and NEGU was announced to the football players on Sept. 8. The organization showed the football players the video on the NEGU website explaining the goals of the organization. The players were then given NEGU bracelets and asked to complete the hand challenge. Through each of their pledges to never ever give up, a child with cancer got a Joy Jar.

“My grandma had cancer,” sophomore Kyler Haughton said. “It touched me on a personal level and it made me want to work harder to beat Lawrence on Lancer day.”

According to Junior Kaleb Hagg, the video helped some of the players imagine what the future would be like if a family member had to go through that. 

“That stuff gets to my heart because I have little siblings,” said Hagg. “If that happened to them… I’d do anything for them.”

The hand challenge started in August and will go throughout September — a total of 46 days. The 46 days representing the 46 children diagnosed with cancer every day. 

NEGU has been trying to form partnerships with all levels of sports: professional, college and high school. Patrick Mahomes wore a NEGU bracelet on the cover of Sports Illustrated and Madden. Now, East football players will be wearing them. 

East head football coach, Justin Hoover, has been working with NEGU since 2013 when the foundation first started. Through NEGU, kids with cancer were able to practice with professional athletes. According to Hoover, he learned the influence he could have in brightening the kid’s day. 

“Playing catch, putting your arm around him, taking a little bit of the load off of him, letting him be a kid and not think about cancer,” Hoover said. “The ability to make a difference in one kid or multiple kids is well worth the time.” 

The goal of the partnership is to help spread awareness. Dilfur, the NEGU representative was at the Lancer Day game to help answer questions about the foundation and two flyers were put in the programs — one that told the reader about the organization and one about the hand challenge. According to Dilfur, anyone who is able to help should do so because Joy Jars help spread happiness.