January 22, 2025
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McNamara, Manteno come together for a good cause

By Mason Schweizer
Bishop McNamara boys basketball coach Adrian Provost, left, speaks during a ceremony at the team’s child cancer night game against Manteno. Looking on are the families of Alexandra Ramos, top center, and Carter Fortin, blue shirt, who are both going through cancer battles. They Fightin’ Irish held child cancer night during Tuesday’s home game against Manteno.

Bishop McNamara boys basketball coach Adrian Provost, left, speaks during a ceremony at the team’s child cancer night game against Manteno. Looking on are the families of Alexandra Ramos, top center, and Carter Fortin, blue shirt, who are both going through cancer battles. They Fightin’ Irish held child cancer night during Tuesday’s home game against Manteno. (Mason Schweizer)

KANKAKEE — Ahead of Tuesday’s boys basketball game at Bishop McNamara and Manteno, the two schools came together to raise money and stuffed animals for Comer Children’s Hospital in Chicago.

The local rivals joined forces at McNamara for child cancer night, which included a pregame ceremony, a stuffed animal drive and split the pot fundraiser.

Three local children battling cancer and their families were recognized in a pregame ceremony.

Carter Fortin and Alexandra Ramos, both local 12-year-olds battling cancer, were joined on the court with their families. In the ceremony, McNamara head coach also recognized Cooper Friedland, a Bourbonnais Upper Grade Student currently battling cancer at Comer.

“It was just a great community environment for a great cause,” McNamara head coach Adrian Provost said. “ ... What a great turnout. We raised over $1,000 and I don’t know how many stuffed animals, but the floor looked pretty crowded.”

Stuffed animals were collected as part of a teddy bear toss, where fans and players threw new stuffed animals onto the court following the pregame ceremony.

The stuffed animals were collected and will be donated to Comer, along with money that was raised via a split the pot raffle during Tuesday’s game and a $400 donation from the McNamara wrestling team.

“It felt great to help the kids in need with the money we were able to donate,” McNamara senior guard Willie Felton said. “I wish we could do it more, maybe three times a year, instead of once. It was a great thing that we did.”

Although the Fightin’ Irish went on to win the game 73-48, Manteno head coach Zack Myers and his team know that the result of the game doesn’t mean quite as much when put in the perspective that they saw pregame.

“I was honored that we got to be a part of it and glad we could help out in whatever little way it was,” Myers said.

For more coverage of the game, see SPORTS, B1.

https://daily-journal.com/news/mcnamara-manteno-come-together-for-a-good-cause/article_0db91af0-d314-11ef-8d6e-f7fdd612c72e.html