Dean Crowe, Founder and CEO of the Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“Matt’s legacy started 20 years ago and continues today.
This. So many emotions.
Under the Friday night lights at Pope High School in Marietta, Georgia, we celebrated the 20th Matt Hobby Rally 4 Quarters 4 Research football game. Matt always wore number 70.
When Matt was a junior at Pope, he was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma, a bone cancer that primarily affects kids and teens. He was treated at Seattle Children’s by Doug Hawkins and at the National Institutes of Health by Crystal Mackall and Melinda Merchant. They all worked desperately to save him.
Out of Matt’s journey came Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research’s very first fundraiser: Rally 4 Quarters 4 Research. Since then, this tradition at Pope has raised nearly $500,000 for childhood cancer research.
Matt once said, ‘I’m 18 years old and I’ve lived a great life. But the little kids fighting cancer need a chance to live.’ That was who he was, always thinking of others.
Matt passed away just two days after his high school class graduated. One of his greatest fears was being forgotten. But for 20 years, his friends, teammates, and family have returned to this field for this game.
As we stood on the field holding hands, missing Matt and listening to his courageous battle being recounted, unknown to any of us, the announcer declared: ‘The game played tonight, and every game played in the future, will forever be played on Matt Hobby Field.’
And yes, ugly crying commenced on the field.”
More posts featuring Dean Crowe.