Women's ASA Charity Classic: Playing for the cause takes center stage in this tourney
By ANTHONY J. SANFILIPPO
RIDLEY TWP. Kathleen Chermol said she's never won anything in her life - before this weekend.
All of the sudden, she won a set of Phillies tickets. That was followed by a new DeMarini softball bat when her name was pulled out of a hat that ironically belonged to her twin sister Kristine Sambuco.
And now her team- Casey's Saloon is in the Winner's Bracket final Sunday for the first time in the Women's ASA Charity Classic.
With a championship trophy only two wins away, Kathleen, who along with Kristine are the co-coaches of the Casey's squad, is hoping that a hat trick is on tap for Sunday.
They'd both trade all those material victories in for a bigger one a cure for cancer.
That, of course, is no small task. It's been a fight the sisters have been a large part of for many years as part of this annual softball tournament.
But for the past two years, the fight has been even harder ever since their brother Marc Kuchler was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer a rarity for a non-smoker.
A 2000 graduate of Monsignor Bonner and Drexel University where he was a star athlete as a hockey player, Kuchler eventually got a chance to fulfill a childhood dream by playing professional hockey when he got to play one game for the Trenton Titans, a former ECHL franchise, during the 2005-06 season.
A diehard Flyers fan (and season ticket holder) Kuchler has been very active during his fight to promote lung cancer awareness, appearing on Fox 29s Good Day Philadelphia last November during Lung Cancer Awareness month.
An advocacy group was also created, called Miles for Marc. It has a Facebook page and a link to a caring bridge page with updates on his status.
During his fight, Kuchler's undergone myriad treatments from chemotherapy to radiation, surgery and a variety of clinical trials both at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and here at home at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital.
His cancer has metastasized and is now in both lungs, his lymph nodes and his brain.
Right by his side the entire time has been his wife Rachael, whom he married last November amid all his treatments.
"She is a blessing," Chermol said. "They were made for each other and she has been his rock this entire time. He's fighting because of her and he's been with us this long because of her."
And Chermol and Sambuco are fighting along with him, as best they can and there's no better way than to do it with their softball team from Casey's.
"These girls are family," Sambuco said. "They are like sisters. Every single one of us has been affected by cancer. It just so happens that there are two stories on our team right now fighting cancer."
The second is Joe McGillian, the husband of one of the ladies teammates, who is battling colon and liver cancer.
Casey's has been known for their tribute uniforms over the years. Two years ago they wore pink skirts. Last year they wore green shirts with the initials of all the loved ones lost to cancer and the names of those still fighting the battle on their shirts.
This year, it was just going to be visors.
At least that's what Chermol and Sambuco thought.
"I was making the lineup for our first game this morning and all of the sudden the girls started taking off their green jerseys," Chermol said. "I was like, 'Whats going on?' Then they had these orange jerseys on underneath with the Miles for Marc logo on them and we were completely caught by surprise."
The rest of the Casey's team surprised Chermol and Sambuco with the jerseys which instead of being the usual Green of Casey's, were orange and black the color of Marc's favorite team. They even modified the Miles for Marc logo, which is usually a pair of sneakers as part of the Free to Breathe run/walk in November. On the jersey's they added little cleats to the sneakers, showing that the Miles for Marc can take place on a softball diamond too.
It was great motivation as Casey's defeated Suburban Womens League champion Christopher's Footprints with a walk off hit in the bottom of the seventh 12-11.
After celebrating their two victories, Chermol and Sambuco climbed into a dunk tank that was jointly provided by Casey's and Buck Frank Excavating, and helped raise $182 of the $800 total from the tank.
The twins also participated with several teammates in the Wawa of Ridley Home Run Derby Saturday evening.
They didn't quite make their mark there as Danielle Fagan of Christopher's Footprints clobbered eight home runs in the final round to take home the plaque but, like most of the women participating, the results ultimately don't matter as much as the cause.
"We all have losses all over the place to cancer, said Chermol. "That's why this tournament is so important. This whole atmosphere is amazing. We are rivals all season long and yet we come together and throw a big party and raise a lot of money. That's what it's all about. We have to thank the ASA for saving this tournament when it looked like it might not happen, because it's so important to so many people."
And even though the actual results on the field aren't as important as the fundraising off it, anyone who loves a touching story should be rooting for Casey's tomorrow.
Because if they win, it will come on Marc Kuchler's 31st birthday.
And that's about a perfect ending to a great weekend as one could ask for.
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