Hoops game raises money for Bensenville teen's cancer fight
Concha Garza said that every time she thinks her friends have done all they can to support her, they find a way to top themselves.
On Sunday, that meant holding a charity basketball game to support Garza's 13-year-old daughter, Ashley, and raise money for the family as Ashley battles cancer.
"We're so lucky to have people like this in our lives," said Garza, a Bensenville resident. "Every day since my daughter was diagnosed, they've done the little things while we've focused on getting Ashley to her treatments. They've taken care of our dog, made sure my other daughter gets to school - there's someone helping out every day."
Ashley is a seventh-grader at Blackhawk Middle School in Bensenville. She was diagnosed with cancer in January 2011, when a tumor was discovered on her spinal cord. She's now between chemotherapy treatments.
A group of parents from Blackhawk, aware of the Garza family's struggles and mounting medical bills, decided to organize a fundraiser that would include a half-court basketball game between local mothers and a halftime show from pom-waving fathers.
More than 200 people filled the gym Sunday at the Bensenville Park District's Deer Grove Leisure Center for the event.
"There are so many people here!" said Kara Weldon, a student at Fenton High School whose mother played on one of the teams. "It's so amazing."
The game pitted the Bensen-Villains against the Wood (Dale) Divas. The teams were introduced with Chicago Bulls-like announcements. All the players stopped to give flowers to Ashley, who watched from the floor.
The crowd screamed and cheered when the game got under way. The players clearly enjoyed themselves, high-fiving each other after making shots and playing comically aggressive defense.
Marlene Aldama, a member of the Bensen-Villains and one of the organizers, said before the game that she was thrilled with the response to the event. The organizers didn't set a fundraising goal, because they weren't sure exactly what the turnout would be like.
"We thought that at the very least, this would be a way to get Ashley and her family away from things for a couple of hours - let them have some fun," said Aldama, whose daughter, Briana, is Ashley's close friend. "But once I put notice about this on Facebook, 100 people responded right away. And all these people here - I'm so happy."
Raffle tickets, T-shirts that said "Team Ashley" on them and refreshments were sold at the event. Aldama said all proceeds will go to the Garza family.
Concha Garza said that while the road ahead of her daughter remains challenging, events like Sunday's fundraiser provide a bright spot.
"We won't be able to pay back everything this community has done for us," she said.