Spalding football to raise money for pancreatic cancer research
Archbishop Spalding's football team will hold a fund raiser for the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network as part of Friday's night's MIAA A Conference home game with McDonogh.
Spalding coach Mike Whittles (left) is battling stage four pancreatic cancer and the players, coaches, parents and fans of the team have rallied around their coach for the last 13 years.
"I think everyone gets a purple ribbon that comes in, just to make people aware of it," Whittles, 57, said. "Frankly, my life got turned upside down when I got diagnosed. Everything changed.
"People shouldn't have to go through this. You shouldn't find out you have pancreatic cancer at stage three or stage four. Nobody finds out they have stage one pancreatic cancer and there's something wrong with that. It's always in the latter stages and that's why there's such a high mortality rate."
Whittle said just four percent of the money raised by the American Cancer Society goes to pancreatic cancer research, but that only about 20 percent of those diagnosed survive the first year and only five percent survive past the third year, so he said he's grateful to those who are running Friday night's fundraiser.
Chemotherapy hasn't kept Whittles off the sideline, and he's looking forward to taking the No. 9 Cavaliers into their home opener against No. 4 McDonogh, a team they haven't played in about 10 years. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.
"I just made up my mind that as long as I've got a life to live, I'm going to live my live and just be a good husband and father and a mentor to these young people," he said. "If that's what God wants me to do, so be it. I think that's why he hasn't taken me yet."
In addition to the purple ribbons, there will be purple T-shirts and wristbands on sale. Whittles said the T-shirts have "Archbishop Spalding Football 2011" on the front and one of his favorite sayings, "Make every day count" on the back.
See our "Coachspeak" interview with Mike Whittles from last month.
