At the recent adidas FC Westchester Columbus Day Tournament, the FC Westchester ’96 Boys team held a fundraising event that collected nearly $3,500 to help teammate Lucas Goldbaum, who is suffering from brain stem cancer.

Lucas was diagnosed this past summer and is in need of everyone’s prayers and support, both emotionally and financially. Specifically, he was diagnosed with inoperable pediatric brain stem glioma and has undergone six weeks of radiation and chemotherapy and may be a candidate for further clinical trials.

The U13 team decided to conduct a fundraiser for Lucas at the tournament because, unfortunately, the possible treatment options for him will be extremely costly and may not be covered by insurance. In addition, Lucas’ mom, Kathleen, is pursing alternative therapies she has uncovered in her ongoing exhaustive research on this form of cancer. Right now, Lucas is starting on an immune-strengthening program featuring organic produce and supplements, which has had impressive results in other cancer patients. Lucas also receives additional alternative treatments, such as Reiki and massage therapy. All of these programs require considerable investments of both time and money.

During the first day of the two-day Columbus Day tournament, the members of the FC Westchester ‘96s played more than 50 3v3 games, with the entire squad participating. On Sunday, the boys played more than 30 3v3 games. In addition, the team sold 75 "Play for Lucas" T-shirts. In all, the 3v3 games, flyers and T-shirts created awareness and a substantial amount came from simple donations to the box at the table we had set up.
The team and the club would like to thank everyone who took part in the fundraising effort There is also an opportunity to offer support by signing onto Lucas’ Caring Bridge Website, www.caringbridge.org/visit/lucasgoldbaum.

For those who would like to do more for Lucas and his family, friends of theirs have established a way for people to make tax deductible donations to help cover the overwhelming costs associated with Lucas’ care. Jenna’s Rainbow Foundation (JRF) was founded to help support children and families who are dealing with the challenges of combating pediatric brain cancer. The JRF board has generously agreed to act as a vehicle to pass through donations for Lucas, enabling donors to receive the tax advantage of donating to a 501(c)(3) non-profit. If you would like to make a donation, checks should be made out to Jenna’s Rainbow Foundation and then sent to: Alissa Kampner Rudin, 35 Mayflower Drive, Tenafly, NJ 07670 . (She has been a friend of Kathleen’s for over 20 years and is spearheading this fund). You will receive an acknowledgement of your donation in the mail for tax purposes.