Story and photo
by Mike Maddock

Lisa Hicks goes out for a pass. Unfortunately, this particular pass fell through Hicks' hands. The fans of Heathwood Hall Episcopal School are accustomed to seeing talented athletes on the football field, but Friday, May 12, 2006 was not one of those days.

Moms of Heathwood Hall fifth and sixth graders, administrators, teachers, coaches, and a few ringers from USC and Presbyterian College got together at Highlander Stadium for a less than spectacular game of flag football. The action was slightly comical and the talent was sketchy at best, but the cause was extremely worthy.

The second annual fifth grade moms versus sixth grade moms gridiron battle is part of a student community service project benefitting the Curing Kids' Cancer program and the Palmetto Health Children's Cancer Center. The Curing Kids' Cancer program was started by Grainne Owen of Marietta, Ga. after she lost her nine-year-old son, Killian, to leukemia. Owen is the sister-in-law of Elizabeth Owen of Columbia who introduced the students at Heathwood Hall to the program.

Dr. Anne Weston, Associate Head of Heathwood Hall and Head of Intermediate/Middle Schools, runs for a loss of two yards. Since then, fifth and sixth graders at the school formed a Curing Kids' Cancer Student Board and created committees. The students distributed

information during basketball games, brought in experts to teach about cancer treatments and helpful programs, and they toured the Palmetto Health Children's Cancer Center.

Board members meet every other Wednesday at lunch and during recess time to discuss on-going projects, new ideas, and future projects. Those projects include letters and cards for cancer patients, decorative banners to brighten bland clinic hallways, and, of course, the football game.

The efforts put forth in this football game are all in fun, but the efforts put into this community service project are immeasurable. As Elizabeth Owen says, "We never know how far the efforts of one can go or where those efforts will be seen. One of these fifth or sixth grade students may be the child who is the recipient of a drug developed through funds raised by Curing Kids' Cancer and whose life is saved. Or one of these students may be the future researcher who makes the discovery and thus finds the end to all childhood cancers. And yet again, one of these students may have a child of their own one day who is healed from cancer and is given the chance that Killian Owen never had...the chance to enjoy being a kid and live a normal healthy life. All this because they gave up some recess time while they were a student in middle school and responded when they were called to duty."

For more information on Curing Kids' Cancer visit www.curingkidscancer.org.