I am helping organize this with my cousin Nikki and her son Joe.



In July 2008, Joe’s best friend Evan was diagnosed with Leukemia (AML-M5). Joe was 10 and Evan was 9 at the time. Joe visited with Evan and his family at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin (CHOW) just before his bone marrow transplant in September of 2008. Spending that time lying next to Evan – which included talking him through a painful experience and watching him fall helplessly asleep after being dosed with pain medication – had a profound effect on Joe. In January, when planning his birthday party, Joe told his mom that he didn’t need any presents for his birthday. He just really wanted to help Evan’s family, so he asked would it be OK to ask family and friends to donate money to them instead of buying him gifts? That is where Joe’s Birthday tradition began. Those first two years, the collections were modest, but Evan’s family was quite grateful. Although it took chemo, 2 transplants and a life-threatening bout with Graft Vs Host disease (GVH), Evan’s cancer did subside, and he finally was able to re-enter school in the mainstream in 2011.

In 2009, Joe got his mom and the owner of the Chicago racing yacht “Valor” to dedicate their race in the Leukemia Cup in Evan’s name, and he held up signs he made to show off his best friend and hero. Later in that year, Joe spent Thanksgiving with his Grandpa Mike who was dying of skin and lung cancer. He returned from that trip devastated and remembered details of saying good-bye to his Great Grandpa Bach as he lay in hospital with esophageal cancer when Joe was 3-1/2 years old. He resolved to invite MORE people to his birthday and give to larger cancer charities...but still wanted the focus on pediatrics. Joe’s home could not accommodate a big crowd, and he is a fan of the Chicago Wolves, so his birthday parties were moved beginning in 2010 to his favorite section near the Wolves locker room entrance.

Joe’s favorite memories of the Wolves events include the year that he chose Bear Necessities Pediatric Cancer Foundation as the benefactor. That year, the Wolves had posted a list of items on their website that were needed for Children in the Chicagoland area, which Joe forwarded to his family, classmates at Fox River Country Day School, and teammates on the Hoffman Estates Wolf Pack Black Peewee hockey team. At the game, he opened gifts that included jewelry making kits, baby dolls of multiple ethnicities, pink talking journals, and teddy bears! What more could a middle-school boy ask for? Strangers around us gave some of the funniest looks! Everyone shared tons of laughs as 3 full boxes of toys were collected.

For his birthday event of 2013, on your recommendation, Joe has selected the One Step Camp program of Children’s Oncology Services, Inc as the charity to benefit. We have not yet selected a Wolves Game date for Joe’s birthday event of 2013 (working with the Wolves now to choose while awaiting our own Bantam playoff schedule to prevent conflicts).

This year Joe is hoping to bring the size of the event and the money raised for the charity to a greater level. The Wolves are offering special ticket prices to include a donation and are providing a jersey for raffle, plus Joe and I have collected a few special Wolves items to round out a nice auction and raffle. We expect to have our normal friends and family group – our Wolf Pack Bantam Hockey team and their families, students from the theatre program at Libertyville High School, Waukegan Yacht Club Junior Sailors, and Science and Arts Academy class of 2012. That normally rounds out to about 35-40 people. This year, thanks to the Wolves expanded participation; he’ll be able to advertise to a broader audience and hopes to attract a much larger crowd.

Let us know if your network of friends can help out!

The date of the game is Saturday April 20th at 7pm.
"Joe's Gifts to One Step Camp" is the group name.
The Chicago Wolves will donate $3 per ticket sold to One Step Camp. We'll also be holding a raffle.
At least 30 tickets have already been sold. Anyone who calls the Wolves for tickets to this game can just use the group name to purchase their tickets to guarantee that a donation will be made.

My cousin Meara went to One Step in the late 90s and early in 2000. She was to be a flower girl at my wedding but passed away 2 months before. As such, my Mom's sister is very much involved in the Camp.

Please come to the game or make a donation!

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@audioidkid

Facebook event has been created.

https://www.facebook.com/events/107020322828198/

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@audioidkid