Lakota East football senior raising money for cancer research

Gavin Myers was at a Kohl’s Professional Kicking Camp a few years ago when he came across a flyer promoting an opportunity for student-athletes to raise money for childhood cancer research.

After some words of encouragement from his mother, the Lakota East High School kicker and punter decided to sign up with “Kick-It,” a national charitable athletic campaign empowered by Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation to benefit childhood cancer research.

Myers had two aunts who battled cancer – one who died in 2016 and one survivor – and felt led to participate. He began raising money as a Kick-It Champion in 2017 and has raised a total of $7,035 through flat donations and pledges collected for every field goal and extra point he scores. This season, his third year of involvement, he hopes to raise $2,500.

“My family has been touched by cancer, and this seemed like a good way to get involved in the community and help with cancer research,” Myers said. “It kind of takes away that feeling of helplessness I felt with my aunt (passing away), and it’s been a rewarding experience.”

Myers is dedicating his senior season to the memory of Monroe student Madison Smallwood, a 12-year-old who died this summer after a four-year battle with stage 4 Osterosarcoma.

He didn’t personally know Smallwood, but she was his best friend’s cousin and Myers said he could see how much her death impacted his long-time soccer pal.

“It speaks a lot to Gavin’s character,” East coach Rick Haynes said. “He’s just a good kid who does the right thing.”

According to an Alex’s Lemonade Stand spokesperson, there are 240 athletes participating in the program, predominately at the high school level. Myers said he knows other students who participate in non-profit charities but he hasn’t come across anyone else doing the Kick-It program that he’s aware of. The Kick-It Champion program was started by All-Ohio football player Matt Colella, who battled cancer as a middle school student.

For Myers, his involvement just adds extra meaning to what he does on the field. Myers scored three points for East in a 35-21 loss to Turpin last week in the season opener, and the Thunderhawks look to bounce back Friday at home against Fairmont.

Myers said he tries not to think about how much money he could raise with each PAT or field goal attempt he makes, but he enjoys knowing he’s doing something for a good cause.

“Every dollar counts toward the cause,” Myers said. “I try to keep that on the backburner so I don’t get in my own head and mess up. After the game I notice what I’ve done, but I don’t want to think about it then because I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself and not make my kicks.”

There’s more motivation in practices, though. Myers has always been a hard worker, according to Haynes, who noted that Myers also is a National Honor Society student, but the senior soccer player and kicker said that knowing he can do something good for cancer research helps him stay driven to go into games as best prepared as he can.

Myers made three of four field goal attempts he took last year and 30 of 32 extra points to account for 39 total points in his first full season as the team’s kicker. He hopes to continue playing football in college and has been looking at schools at every division with plans to continue as a “Kick It Champion” at the next level if he makes it.

“He’s improved every year, works hard in the offseason,” Haynes said. “He’s trying to become more of a complete kicker with kickoffs, punts, field goals and PATs. He’s not our punter yet, but he’s working on it.”

Myers said he has overcome several injuries in his career and looks forward to finishing off with his best season as the Hawks seek a return to the playoffs after a second-round exit last year. He hopes to increase his field goal range by five or six yards and his distance on kickoffs by 10 yards or more.

In the process, he hopes he can reach his goal of raising $2,500 or more for Kick It. Donations have already started coming in, but he’s still waiting for someone to top the unexpected $1,000 donation he received last year.

“I’ve gotten some pledges and some flat donations, but hopefully it picks up and I can score a lot of points to help my team and my cause,” Myers said.

For more information, to pledge or to donate, visit Gavin's Kick-It Champion page at https://www.alexslemonade.org/mypage/1727164.

WEEK 2 GAMES

Anderson at Hamilton

Springboro at Middletown

Badin at Talawanda

Edgewood at Franklin

Monroe at Ross

Fairfield at Springfield

Norwood at Fenwick

Carlisle at Kenton Ridge

Centerville at Lakota West

Fairmont at Lakota East