May 26, 2011
By Michael Brasfield, GamecocksOnline.com Contributor
| KICK Cancer With Lemonade |
COLUMBIA, S.C. – On May 25, 2011, several members of the South Carolina women’s basketball program chose to spend their afternoon serving the community through a fundraising project started by local middle school student, Anthony Frederick called Anthony’s Lemonade Stand. In 2007, Anthony Frederick’s mother attended a breast cancer luncheon while fighting her own breast cancer battle that started with her diagnosis in 2005. At the luncheon she purchased a pink bracelet with the words “Find the Cure”, and gave it to Anthony. Inspired, Anthony told her that he wanted to raise money to help stop breast cancer. Since then, the seventh grade student from nearby Dent Middle School has collected over $16,000 dollars from a very simple concept, a Lemonade Stand. Anthony has experienced such tremendous success from selling lemonade, toys, and t-shirts at these lemonade stands, that he started his own organization: Kids Inspired by Cancer Kampaign (KICK). KICK’s goal is to raise cancer awareness and is now the sponsor of Anthony’s Lemonade Stand and Dodge ball Tournament. KICK has made great strives towards its goal of raising cancer awareness, so much so that at Anthony’s most recent Lemonade Stand on May 25 caught the attention of some of the University’s student-athletes.
“We really appreciate it when people come out and support us, so we are going to do all we can to support others and what they want to do. Just being out here serving lemonade, being seen, and helping others, that’s a really big deal for us. Coach Staley lets us know that,” said sophomore Ashley Bruner, one of three women’s basketball players that volunteered to help Anthony.
Ashley, along with her teammates Ebony Wilson and Imani Sellers, helped serve the community and this worthy cause by selling t-shirts and serving lemonade. Sophomore Imani Sellers, said, “It feels good to come out here and help. It is always good to help, and with us being role models in college it just feels good to come out here and be with the kids and help out. It’s a great experience.”
The ladies weren’t the only Gamecocks attending the event. Former Gamecock and current New York Knick, Renaldo Balkman was also helping Anthony and company serve lemonade. Vice-president of the KICK organization and Anthony’s classmate, Matthew McQuilla said, “It means a lot to have the support of some of the University’s athletes. It means that we are doing a good job of raising awareness and that people want to help out Anthony and this cause.” From Gamecock student-athletes to soldiers of the U.S. Army and NBA players to random community members, people in the Columbia community have stepped up and volunteered and/or donated to benefit Anthony’s very worthy cause. May 25 represented a special version of Anthony’s Lemonade Stand, as this one was in an effort to raise money for Anthony’s father who was recently diagnosed with Leukemia. All proceeds from the KICK events go to the Palmetto Health foundation in hopes to one day finding a cure.
