Girls swimming: St. Charles North and East come together to raise money in Madison Scout Cantrell's memory
A beam of sunlight pierced through gracefully down center frame as both the St. Charles North and East girls swim programs posed for a picture minutes before competition.
On Thursday, there was no blue, black, silver or orange to separate the two.
Only tie-dye pink, Madison "Scout" Cantrell's favorite color, to remind all what the seventh annual 'For Scout' St. Charles crosstown swim meet spirit truly encapsulates: "Do it for you. Do it for them. Do it for Scout."
This current school year would've been Cantrell's senior swimming season. North's 111-74 varsity team victory Thursday was little more than a footnote.
Thursday's meet generated $10,000 in donations and proceeds to benefit the For Scout Foundation, which was created in Cantrell's honor after her tragic, unexpected death in Oct. 2014.
Prior to the meet, six swimmers: Enya Linson, Sydney Jenkins, Kate Wolff, Nicole Burton, Lindsay Baxter and Ellie Bawolek - who would've been in Cantrell's graduating class - posed with the Cantrell family, including 2019 St. Charles North alum, Katie, Scout's older sister.
" ... She's my sister, so there might've been a little pink sparkle dust in the air tonight," said current Middlebury College senior Katie Cantrell while addressing the crowd. " ... None of this would've been possible without all of the love this community has for each other and for 'For Scout.'
"I was talking with my mom [Felicity] before this meet and there's not many places you can go where two rival teams in a town come together for one cause. And, love each other one night. Most places, it'd be like 'I'm going to beat East; I'm going to beat North'. But, not St. Charles.
"All of you love one another so deep on this night every single year and you do it for your community, you do it for one another, but most of all, you do it for Scout. For that, my family and myself, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all of the love and everything you guys have done to support [our family] these last eight years since Scout has passed."
In 2019, the meet raised $7,885 for the organization. To date, the For Scout Foundation has donated nearly $341,000 to various organizations in the Fox Valley area, including: Feed My Starving Children, Anderson Humane Shelter and more.
"[Scout] was so hardworking," Linson said. "When we were younger, the main memory that comes to mind for me is we saw the 200 IM together for the first time. I just remember her and I; I just looked up to her so much. She was incredible at swimming even back then and just racing that race with her - I got destroyed - but she just was so motivating.
"She was such a kind soul. She was a really special person to all of us. I think it's really incredible that two crosstown teams can come together and make such a big impact on the community. I feel like St. Charles North and East have done a really good job throughout all of the years that Scout has unfortunately not been with us to come together."
Linson quickly paused, then noted: "Everyone here is in pink. Everyone is supporting."
"All of the parents came out tonight. This is the biggest showing we've had so far. Just to see that, everyone loved Scout. Everyone is here to support and love this community."
St. Charles East junior Kate Lewandowski remembers Scout's outgoing personality.
" ... So genuine and so willing to help others," Lewandowski said. "Just [being] a really amazing friend. Obviously, she was an amazing swimmer; but truly, the kind person she was truly is what will stick with me.
"It's just really amazing to have something that brings us all together. Obviously, East and North [can be] very divided [in sports] and we want to beat each other ...[this meet] has us all reflect on who we are, who we want to be and how want to live up to Scout's legacy. Just live every day for Scout because she missed out on so much.