Youth soccer team rallies around cancer-stricken parent
March 9, 2009
By Ari Cetron
The Arsenal Blue 97 won the Commissioner's State Cup Tournament and is now raising money for a teammate's mother who has been diagnosed with leukemia.
It didn’t take much to convince Federico Rubiolo to help teammate Alex Appel’s mother who was diagnosed with leukemia.
“Alex is one of my good friends, and I just don’t like cancer,” said Federico, a fifth-grader at Endeavour Elementary School. “The less people that have it, the better.”
Federico and Alex’s team, the Arsenal Blue 97, has been together for 11 months. On Feb. 15, they won the Washington Youth Soccer Commissioner’s Cup tournament with a 4-0 victory over a team from Tacoma.
“It felt amazing,” said Federico, who plays center defense. “I was like, ‘Oh, my God, I can’t believe it.”
Coach Fernando Barros attributes the success to the team’s work to develop the skills of each player and the diverse group they’ve put together.
“We have what I call the melting pot, because we have five nationalities within the team,” he said.
The players have also come to help one of their own off the field.
Dawn Appel, of Issaquah, was diagnosed with leukemia in September 2007. Since, she’s undergone chemotherapy, sinus surgery and fought a blood clot in her brain, according to the National Foundation for Transplants’ Web site.
Federico said he found out a couple of months ago from his mother.
“She just sort of knows everything,” he said.
Appel underwent a bone marrow transplant in January at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, and now the team is trying to raise an estimated $75,000 to help the family with the costs.
“It really is a true team effort to help pay down the costs,” said Michelle Giovanola, a team parent.
The team is hosting a series of fund-raisers to benefit the Appel family.
First are rummage sales from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. March 13 and from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. March 14 at Mary, Queen of Peace church.
Then, the boys will hold a car wash from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. April 25 and May 2 at McDonald’s on East Lake Sammamish Parkway.
Proceeds from both events will go to the National Foundation for Transplants’ Washington Bone Marrow Fund.
How to help
Go to www.transplants.org and follow the link for ‘Patients We Help.’ Or mail your donation to NFT Washington Bone Marrow Fund, 5350 Poplar Ave., Suite 430, Memphis, TN 38119. Be sure to write ‘In honor of Dawn Appel’ in the memo line. Donations are tax-deductible and available for company matching gifts.
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