The gym at St. Agnes Cathedral School pulsed with energy and emotion last weekend — a swirl of gold ribbons, bouncing basketballs and young athletes playing with a purpose far bigger than the score.
With every basket and every cheer, the community honored a girl they’ve never forgotten — the late Mary Ruchalski, who died of rhabdomyosarcoma when she was 12— raising $5,000 for the Mary Ruchalski Foundation at the school’s third annual Play 4 Mary event.
From Friday evening through Sunday, dozens of CYO basketball players on the school’s Stags teams dedicated their home games to the foundation, which supports pediatric cancer research and families of children undergoing treatment.
The weekend of remembrance and competition kicked off on Nov. 13 with a poster-decorating session in Mary’s honor. The girls shared pizza in the school gym as they created handmade signs and crafted bracelets to sell at the games.
“Mary Ruchalski was a St. Agnes student,” Brie Ellwood, a CYO coach, said. “She played CYO, she played softball, she played basketball, she played a lot of different sports, and she got her (cancer) diagnosis when she was 11. So that’s a lot of these girls’ ages, and they can relate to it.”
Players wore special shirts during the games, each marked with a gold ribbon for pediatric cancer awareness.
“What’s really great about it is the kids,” Mary’s mother, Carol Ruchalski, who started the foundation, said. “They own it. They own the Play 4 Mary, so they make the hair bows that we give out to each team.”
Before each game, the girls shook hands with their opponents and read a speech about the importance of pediatric cancer awareness.
“Today we play for Mary,” they read aloud. “Today we wear bows in her honor, our gold ribbon representing pediatric cancer. Mary was a bright light in this world. She was an excellent student, friend and athlete.”
The STAGS players shared Mary’s story with visiting teams and spectators. “Her life was abruptly ended when she was diagnosed at the age of 11, only a few months after playing in the state championships for softball,” the speech continued. “She went through 15 months of rigorous, toxic treatment, which left her unable to walk towards the end of her life. She asked her family to never give up on her.
“Playing for Mary is a way for athletes to give back and make a difference while doing what they love,” the text concluded. “It is a reminder to dig deep and give each day your all because you can. Today you play for someone else — you play for a kid who doesn’t get the chance because cancer has taken it away.”
Several players volunteered to work a bake sale during the games. Students made the baked goods, and snacks and drinks were donated.
Avery Reid, 11, was helping out for the second year. “I like Play 4 Mary because I usually do the business,” she said, referring to fundraisers like the bake sale, “and I think it’s a really cool idea that we do this for a player who used to play, but sadly died of cancer. The fundraiser is really cool.”
“What I love about it is this is something Mary would have been all about,” Carol Ruchalski said. “I feel like she’s really here for all of this, so it’s such a great event — I love it.”
For more information about the foundation, visit TheMaryRuchalskiFoundation.org.
