LAX AGAINST LEUKEMIA 2024
LAX AGAINST LEUKEMIA 2024
LAX AGAINST LEUKEMIA 2024
LAX
AGAINST
LEUKEMIA
2024
Lax Against Leukemia is a preseason high school lacrosse tournament to benefit the Joey Powers Leukemia Project. The 10th annual event will be on Saturday, February 10th, hosted at Premier Sports Campus. The 2024 lineup will include over 50 girls and boys high school teams from Florida.
Joey Powers played at Cardinal Mooney High School before losing his fight with pediatric leukemia. The Joey Powers Leukemia Project was founded by his family in 2010, with a mission to provide financial assistance and resources for families battling pediatric leukemia. Proceeds raised from the tournament go directly towards supporting that mission.
OUR IMPACT
A pediatric leukemia diagnosis takes an emotional toll on any family. The unforeseen challenges, however, from the financial burdens of treatment to the lifestyle adjustments, can make the recovery process even more challenging. Our mission is to lend a hand to those families in need, fighting the same battle Joey’s family fought over a decade ago. Proceeds raised at the Lax Against Leukemia tournament go directly towards providing financial resources to those families. Each month, new families reach out to the Joey Powers Leukemia Project seeking assistance with utility bills, medical expenses, fuel and transportation costs, and grocery bills. Your support at the event ensures we are able to continue supporting the children and families effected by pediatric leukemia.
JOEY
Joey had a smile that would warm up any room. He had a personality that could make anyone laugh (except for a teacher or two). As much as everybody wanted Joey to be a serious student, he always had other plans. The self appointed "class clown". Joey loved competition. He played Pop Warner Football from the age of 11 until he made the Cardinal Mooney Freshmen team. He played Suncoast Basketball until he decided he was too short to play. In seventh grade, Joey went kicking and screaming to a lacrosse practice for the Lakewood Ranch Lightning. While Joey loved to play football, he quickly developed a passion for lacrosse from that first practice till the day he passed away. A lacrosse penny was part of his daily wardrobe. Joey was also an integral member of the original Cardinal Mooney Lacrosse varsity lacrosse team.
June 21st 2010 was the day that our lives changed forever. Not feeling well, a trip to the doctors office led to an official diagnosis of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) on June 24, 2010. The next 2 weeks were spent in the hospital trying to wrap our heads around this whole nightmare. The only thing Joey said after this news was, "Doc you can't tell my Mom", that was his only concern, his Mother. Even through weekly spinal taps and bone marrow draws, Joey never complained, lost his smile, nor his sense of humor. Throughout the treatment process, Joey became eligible for the “Make-A-Wish” program. Instead of gaming consoles or a trip to Hawaii, as other wishes had been, Joey said, "I know what I want to do with my wish. I want to have a party. A party to raise money for all the families on the Seventh floor at All Children's Hospital, who are going through what we are going through". On November 20, 2010, Joseph Connar Powers lost his battle with cancer, just one day before his 17th birthday, after being in the ICU at All Children's Hospital for 3 weeks. Joey never got to make his "Wish" come true. In light of Joey's struggle a public charity, Joey Powers Leukemia Project, was established in Joey's honor to help families who are going through the horrible experiences of childhood leukemia.
IT IS OUR MISSION TO MAKE JOEY'S WISH COME TRUE.
MAKE A DONATION
If you want to support Lax Against Leukemia initiative, feel free to make a donation.
We appreciate your participation.