Annual Kevin Boeckenhauer Memorial Fundraiser July 30 to feature swimming, bags tournament and more
The Kevin Boeckenhauer Family Foundation, a Chicago-area philanthropic organization that provides financial assistance to cancer patients, raises funds for health-related charities and sponsors scholarships for local college students, will hold its second annual Kevin Boeckenhauer Memorial Fundraiser on Saturday, July 30.
It will be 3 to 10 p.m. at the Seasons 4 HOA Pool and Clubhouse, 921 Springfield Drive in Roselle.
The foundation was created to honor former Lake Park High School and club swimmer Kevin Boeckenhauer, who tragically passed away at the young age of 23 after a heroic seven-year battle with Ewing's sarcoma.
One of the highlights will be swimming, Kevin's favorite activity, in the Seasons 4 pool.
There also will be a bags tournament with cash prizes; bingo, with gift card prizes; and a rubber duck draw. Buy a duck, win a mystery bottle of wine or spirits.
The silent auction features vacation packages, theater tickets, luxury goods, electronics, sports tickets and autographed memorabilia including autographed game-worn jerseys from the 2016 Cubs World Series (Rizzo), and Blackhawk 2013 Stanley Cup (Toews and Kane).
Join the raffle for baskets and prizes valued from $20 to $500.
Dinner will be provided by the Fire & Smoke BBQ food truck and a cash bar. For a sweet treat, try the freshly made doughnuts from Kayli N Keys's Mini Donuts.
Afterward, enjoy the music from a DJ and dancing.
The sponsors include: Transitions Hospice; Church Street Brewing; Fire & Smoke BBQ; and Kayli N Keys's Mini Donuts.
Tickets are $55, which includes swimming, dinner, two drink tickets (alcoholic or non-alcohol), and one raffle ticket.
For teens, age 13 to 17, it is $35 and includes all the above, but two tickets for non-alcoholic drinks. The cost for youth, age 6 to 12, is $15 and free for under age 6.
Event tickets available through www.kevinwantsacure.org or the Kevin Boeckenhauer Family Foundation Facebook page at www.facebook.com/kevinwantsacure/.
Tickets can also be purchased at the door.
After expenses, all proceeds raised from the event will be donated to the worthy causes the Kevin Boeckenhauer Family Foundation are supporting this year:
• KRB Giving Program;
• Sarcoma Foundation of America;
• Ronald McDonald House;
• Chicago Lighthouse (for the Blind);
• American Diabetes Association;
• Two college scholarships for local high school students, one boy, one girl;
In addition to the above initiatives, funds raised from the event will be used to support the KRB Giving Program, an annual grant given to a cancer patient to help them cover personal expenses and medical bills. Last year, a $5,000 grant was awarded to T.J. Kutil, a Lake Park High School student battling testicular cancer.
This year's grant recipient is Chloe Jarvis, a 25-year-old Chicago-area woman who is currently undergoing aggressive treatment for Stage 4 Lymphoma. Her treatments include immunotherapy, chemotherapy, and radiation. She will eventually undergo a stem cell transplant.
Kevin Boeckenhauer started swimming at age 9 and never stopped. He was a four-year varsity swimmer at Lake Park High School and an accomplished club swimmer. He was on track to swim in college, but then cancer fatefully and awfully intervened when he was just 16 years old.
Despite having battled Ewing's sarcoma for 2 years, Kevin tried out for the swimming team at the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point, where he majored in physical therapy. Weakened by the years of radiation and chemotherapy treatments, Kevin's body just wasn't the same, and he fell just short of his goal of making the team. Although he wasn't an official member, the team took him in and made him one of their own.
Sadly, Kevin lost his brave battle against Ewing's sarcoma on Oct. 13, 2019, seven years and 12 days after his diagnosis. While Kevin may not be with us any longer, the Kevin Boeckenhauer Family Foundation keeps his memory alive by raising funds to provide financial assistance to cancer patients, support cancer research, provide college scholarships to area students and support health-related charities.