October 15 - November 4, 2016 www.SanTanSun.com
Kicking cancer
Hamilton player raising money for pediatric cancer research BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI
When rival football teams from Hamilton and Chandler high schools meet on the Huskies’ home turf on Friday, Oct. 28, one player will have an exceptional reason to play well. Hamilton Huskies’ kicker/wide receiver Anthony Rusch Jr. has dedicated his junior year of football to raising money for pediatric cancer research. He teamed up with the nonprofit KICK-IT and created a page to track his progress, http://bit.ly/2d6oz93. “I was at this kicking camp in Wisconsin and I saw this little booth set up for KICK-IT,” said Anthony, who’s 6-feet 2-inches and 153 pounds. “I went up and talked to them. It sounded really cool and I signed up.” It sounds simple, but it’s the culmination of a lifelong desire. He had already lost three grandparents to cancer, including his grandmother who fought a courageous and long battle with leukemia. She died three years ago. There are two ways in which the community can help. They can pledge per point. For example, if someone bids $2 per point and he makes 50 points, that’s $100 for cancer research. One-time donations are accepted as well. As of Oct.
Hamilton Huskies’ kicker Anthony Rusch Jr. has played football since age 11. Photo provided by Rusch family.
10, he has raised $824 of $2,500. Rusch has played football since the
fifth grade, or age 11. He inherited a love of the gridiron—the Green Bay Packers, in
particular—from his dad, Tony. “He has a gift,” Tony said. “He has a really strong leg and athletic ability. When we were at this invitational kicking camp, KICK-IT was there. We talked with them and it sounded really awesome. “We wanted to figure out a way to take his athleticism and start helping others. Hopefully he’ll do it through college.” Speaking of college, the teenager told his father what he wanted to do postHamilton. “I want to be a wide receiver in the NFL,” Tony recalled Anthony saying. “I said, that’s great but what if that doesn’t work out. What’s your second choice. His answer? A kicker in the NFL.” Anthony can’t help it. Football is in his blood. His brother, who is now 19, played Hamilton football until the defensive back suffered a concussion and decided to leave the sport. As a freshman, Anthony played junior varsity ball. This is his first year on the varsity team. “It’s just fun,” he said simply about why he loves the sport. “I am good at it.” KICK-IT isn’t Anthony’s first foray into fundraising. He sold concessions at an ASU football game to raise money for needy families. see
CANCER page 4
Organizations can apply for General 2 Legislative District 17 Fund and CDBG/HOME grant funds candidates square off in debate The City of Chandler’s Neighborhood Resources Division will host a grant orientation session for organizations interested in receiving FY 17/18 Human Services General Fund and Community Development Block Grants (CDBG)/ Home Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) funding. The session will be held at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 19, in the City Council Chambers, 88 E. Chicago St. Each year, the City’s Neighborhood Resources Division partners with other City departments and outside agencies to provide residents and neighborhoods with assistance to help stabilize the community and individual homes, and assist families. Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME) funds, combined with ongoing support from the City’s General fund provide for a variety of programs that enhance
neighborhoods. Applications for all funding will be available beginning Wednesday, Oct. 19, and are due by 5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 22. Organizations applying for General Fund grant proposals will no longer be required to submit a letter of intent or submit an application through the e-CImpact system. New agencies that have never received funding from the City of Chandler Human Services Allocations Process, or have not received funding in the past three years are required to attend a grant orientation session. This New Agency session is scheduled for 1 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 19, in the City Council Chambers. During this session, City staff will hold a more indepth review than the morning session. Registration is encouraged, but see
CDBG page 4
Chandler’s Real Estate Team
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www.AmyJonesGroup.com SEE WHY ON PAGE 13!
See WHY on page 18
BY MARGARET YIRENKYI
Education and LGBT rights were the topics of discussion at a Friday, Sept. 30, debate between two of the five Arizona Legislative District 17 candidates. Jennifer Pawlik, a Democrat who is running for House of Representatives, and Steve Weichert, a fellow Democrat who is vying for state senate seat, attended the event organized by the Citizens Clean Elections Commission at the Crowne Plaza San Marcos Golf Resort Hotel. About 40 people attended. During the hour-long debate, Pawlik and Weichert agreed that the most pressing issues are improving education and providing funding for schooling. Weichert said his mother, who taught school for 38 years, influenced his concern about education. He said the state should help increase the number of teachers and ensure that they’re
respected. “The state should take responsibility for educating state kids,” Weichert said. A 17-year public school teacher, Pawlik said cited numerous problems within the state’s education system including the age of textbooks and students’ difficulty in landing scholarships. She discussed the 2,000-teacher shortage in the state, leaving districts to fill classrooms with substitute teachers “who may or may not be qualified.” Pawlik and Weichert also discussed LGBT rights. Pawlik said she supports the demographic because her best friend was able to marry her wife thanks to changes within the law. She said she believes homosexuals should have the same rights as heterosexuals. “They are people just as we are see
F E AT U R E STO R I E S Kicking cancer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ryan-Whyte Real Estate team honored for its work . . . . . . . . Dante Bartee finds calling with coaching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Car-crushing robot returns to Chandler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chandler singer finding his ‘voice’ on NBC competition show . .
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CLIP IT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Center Section
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