Naperville tourney to help cancer research

The week before Thanksgiving is about more than anticipating a feast of turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce for some local high school basketball players and their fans.

For those in the annual Hoops for Healing tournament, it's about getting on the court to raise money for cancer research and support for families affected by cancer.

"It's a regular basketball tournament that we have during Thanksgiving," said Doug Smith, athletic director at Naperville North High School. "I'm a cancer survivor myself. Back in 1998, I was diagnosed with colon cancer. It was stage four. "

Smith was serving as athletic director at Woodstock High School when he cofounded the tournament in 2001.

When he moved to the Naperville school system, he teamed up with Craig Watson, then the athletic director at Oswego High School, to get a second tournament set up in the Naperville area.

This year, Smith said, eight teams are involved in the Naperville-Oswego Hoops for Healing tournament, Nov. 24 to 28. To date, the Naperville-Oswego tournament, which includes both varsity and sophomore players, has raised more than $27,000, he said.

Proceeds go to the Edward Foundation to fund Camp Hope, a program available through the Edward Cancer Center, Smith said.

For two weeklong sessions each summer, children ages 5 to 12 whose parents or grandparents have been diagnosed with cancer attend Camp Hope, a day camp at the Edward Fitness Center.

"We do therapeutic breakout groups, team building, (help them deal with) the feelings they have inside. A lot of these children feel that they are alone," said Linda Conlin, one of two licensed social workers who oversees Camp Hope. "It lets them know they are not alone. They share their feelings."

Conlin said about 25 children are enrolled in each of the two sessions, which run in June and August. Activities include children's yoga, drumming circles, martial arts and art therapy.

"That helps them normalize their feelings," Conlin said. "It's good to be able to spend time with other kids that totally understand where they're coming from."

Smith said he brings several cancer survivors in to talk with players before the Hoops for Healing tournament games, to drive home the importance of cancer screenings.

"Our motto is 'get checked,'" he said.

Participation in the tournament is not only beneficial for Camp Hope, it's a good learning experience for the athletes, Smith said.

"Our message to kids is, regardless of what their (athletic) records are, they're all winners because they're helping someone they don't even know," he said.

Corporate sponsors for Hoops for Healing are being sought at three donation levels, from $100 to $500. Names and logos of donors who contribute $300 will appear on team warmup shirts; names of donors who contribute $500 will appear on banners in the school gym.

For more information, call the Edward Foundation at (630) 527-5956 or visit edward.org.