Sports Lovers Unite
Considering their love of sports, Tyler Prusik, Jackson Lang, and Jake Woskobunik, who play baseball and attend school together in Winchester, Virginia, may be typical adolescent boys. But one thing that makes them unique is their ability to channel that passion to help others. This spring, the trio executed a successful auction of professional sports memorabilia and donated all $1,000 in proceeds to UVA Comprehensive Cancer Center.
The boys’ effort started as an independent project at their Frederick County Middle School. Many students opted to design STEM-related projects—one even launched a weather balloon. Prusik, Lang, and Woskobunik were inspired by a friend's older brother battling leukemia to do something philanthropic in his honor. With their collective affinity for and knowledge of sports trading cards as further fuel, they initially planned to obtain and auction off autographed NFL player cards, calling their project Cards for Cure.
The boys wrote letters to all 32 NFL teams explaining, “We would like to raise money for cancer research and cancer hospitals because more and more people are being diagnosed and are suffering from cancer. That's where we need your help.”
In their appeals they included sports cards from the relevant teams, asking to have them autographed and sent back. Unfortunately, NFL teams have a policy against receiving and returning items to be signed for charitable purposes.
Still, the letters were persuasive enough that 11 NFL teams formally responded—two to decline the request and eight with other branded gear to auction instead—from pens and bracelets to signed player photos, footballs, and helmets. The eight contributing teams included the Jacksonville Jaguars, Chicago Bears, New York Giants, Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles, Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, and Minnesota Vikings.
Christopher Bosse, a Frederick County Middle School science and math teacher and facilitator of the independent projects, said he was surprised that anything came back from the teams, but “I thought it was a great idea from the start,” he said. “It wasn’t my job to tell them no.”
When the packages started arriving, Bosse said he enjoyed seeing the students’ faces light up and was impressed with the Cards for Cure team’s ambition, success, and organization. “Zero money went into their project,” he said.
In addition to the NFL gear, Prusik, Lang, and Woskobunik secured donations for everything needed to run the auction, including a booth at a local sports card show and additional auction items from local businesses and national chain stores.
Even the giant commemorative check they presented to UVA Comprehensive Cancer Center was contributed by a local print shop.
A worthy cause needs skilled and tenacious advocates, and the Cards for Cure team’s success is undoubtedly a prime example.
“In my experience, kids are good people, and I think more of them would get into something like this if they had more avenues,” said Bosse. “I don’t think we give them enough opportunities to do that.”
Prusik, Lang, and Woskobunik said that reaching their goal and being able to present their auction proceeds to benefit UVA Comprehensive Cancer Center has inspired their confidence to do more. “Hey, if three middle school students can get eight NFL teams to respond—I feel like I can accomplish more now!” said Prusik.
Others agree. Prusik’s baseball teammates already tapped him to find their team a new sponsor.
To learn how you can support the life-saving work of UVA Comprehensive Cancer Center, please contact Andrew Westhouse, Senior Associate Director of Development, Cancer Programs, at andrewwesthouse@virginia.edu or call us at 434.924.8432 or 800.297.0102.
