Gold Game highlights first home football game
Tonight is the annual Gold Ribbon Game for Bellwood-Antis.
August 31, 2018
This week’s football game at Memorial Stadium is the annual Gold Ribbon Game for childhood cancer. This is the third year Bellwood-Antis has partnered with the Brian Morden Foundation to help raise money for the cuase.
Brian Morden was an Altoona Area High School student who battled Ewing’s Sarcoma for more than two years. He lost his battle at the age of 19 on February 15, 2003. The Brian Morden Foundation helps raise money for kids suffering from cancer. This foundation has helped out several local families including Alexis Kensinger and the Shura family, whose daughter Maddison lost her battle with cancer in 2017, when she was in second grade.
At the game, there will be booths set up selling golden ribbons and taking donations. Both the Glendale and the Bellwood-Antis bands will be wearing golden ribbons on their uniforms. The Brian Morden Foundation will be giving a presentation at halftime. After the presentation, there will be a lap around the track in remembrance of those who we’ve lost to the disease.
The cheerleaders will be involved with this event as well. Several of the cheerleaders knew Maddie Shura or were close to her family. So, they will be wearing golden ribbons on their jackets, bows for Maddie, and T-shirts in her honor.
The Golden Ribbon game hits close to home for cheerleader Caroline Nagle. Caroline grew up with a cousin who had stage four Neuroblastoma. The tribute to Maddie has always been in Caroline’s heart. The cheerleaders got involved with this event through Maddie Shura.
“Maddie Shura had always wanted to be a cheerleader. With Chrissy Shura, her aunt, being our head coach, we try to do everything we can to give back and get involved,” said junior cheerleader Casi Shade.
The marching band will collaborate with Glendale’s band to march around the track, alternating between the bands’ cadences.
“It’s great that we’re doing something like this for such a good cause. And I’m glad that my senior year we’re doing it with another band,” said Lordin Williams, a snare drum player.
Dawn Morden • Sep 1, 2018 at 10:23 am
Thanks Jestelynn for writing this article and sharing more about the Brian Morden Foundation and your community, which is helping all children who battle cancer. It was a wonderful evening and Gold Ribbon Game. Thanks especially to Dr. McInroy and Mr. Schreier who have helped us with the collaboration from the beginning. The BMF is also grateful to Chrissy Shura and the cheerleaders who help get gold ribbons around to the crowd. This year the BAHS band wore gold ribbons again, but also shared them with the Glendale HS Band and cheerleaders. Way to pass it on! Of course we continue to be inspired by the courage of Kelly, Jason, and Libby Shura as they fight back for Maddie.
We hope that everyone got a BMF/Dining Out flyer and will come to the Altoona restaurants on the designated dates in support of National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. You need to bring the flyer because of the “tickets” that need to be given to the restaurants before the BMF can receive a portion of the money you paid to dine out.
We are also encouraging all of you to join the BMF team of Alex’s Million Mile. This national project will help focus attention on the need to do more in the fight against childhood cancer! Go to https://www.alexslemonade.org/mypage/1493020 to register now or any time during the month of September.
I believe that Maddie’s legacy is one of HOPE; all of you are continuing that with your participation, donations, and support in other ways. On behalf of the Brian Morden Foundation and the children and their families battling cancer that all of us help … thank you! <3