Kristopher Tung remembered the emotional moment when his daughter’s soccer club presented a $4,000 check to BCRF. It was four years ago and one of the players’ mothers, a breast cancer survivor, gave a brief speech that brought him to tears. Little did he realize, a year later his wife would also face a breast cancer diagnosis and be the one giving that same tearful speech.
“I had no real connection to breast cancer when I started the fundraiser, just wanted to support a great cause and raise awareness,” Tung said about the Levittown Soccer Club “Kick It To Cancer” fundraiser where players sell pink socks, hats and t-shirts and wear pink jerseys to raise funds for BCRF.
It was during the club’s second year supporting the cause when Tung’s wife Jill was diagnosed with breast cancer. She was 35 years old at the time.
“It turned our lives upside down,” Tung said. Luckily her cancer was caught early. After chemotherapy and surgery, she is now in remission.
“What started out as an event to help others was now even closer to home than I would have ever imagined,” Tung said. “Not only did our close friends and family help us through those dark days but the club and its countless volunteers pitched in as well.”
It was this soccer community that energized Tung to not only continue the club’s BCRF fundraiser, but also grow it exponentially. Each year “Kick It To Cancer” develops new designs for their pink t-shirts and socks ahead of Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October.
This year the soccer club celebrated an enormous donation of $17,500 to BCRF – bringing their cumulative total to over $45,300 over the past four years. They credit their success to their dedicated supporters including longtime BCRF donor Cindy Citrone who generously covered the cost of the goods the team sold.
“My wife's diagnosis has really brought the issue to the forefront of our lives,” Tung said. “It's an honor to be able to do my share to raise money and awareness for this terrible disease.”
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