Soccer Boys Honor Mom in Remission, Raise Money for Cancer Awareness

Maryann O'Kelly always thought of herself as a healthy woman—which was true, until one day, it wasn't.

That day was when Maryann, who went for mammograms regularly, found a lump. The discovery led to a breast cancer diagnosis, accompanied by surgeries and a year's worth of chemotherapy. But none of that was enough to break Maryann's strong spirit.

"I didn't give into it," the Southeast resident said after members of Brewster's varsity boys soccer team honored before Tuesday's kickoff. "I kept my normal life."

Maryann's positive perspective was evident at the game, which coincided with senior night. In front of tons of fans, senior soccer player Brian O'Kelly, presented his mother with a pink Brewster Soccer T-shirt, with the number '1' on the back. All of the boys—who sold more than 100 shirts at $15 a piece in support of Breast Cancer Awareness month—signed it.

"They all saw me last year with no hair and a wig," she said, choking back the emotion in her voice.

As she spoke, a pink soccer ball flew across the field, pink balloons tied to the bleachers blew in the wind, and enthusiastic fans dressed in pink cheered for the squad. All of that—plus the pink the boys wore on the field—was intended to honor survivors and victims, Coach Scott Potusek said. The money they raised will go to the American Cancer Society.

Many of the spectators, including Brewster High School senior Alex Hutt, wore the pink shirts they purchased in recent days. Hutt's mother battled the disease. She is in remission. He bought two shirts, one for himself and one for his girlfriend, as a way of "supporting the cause."

"It's really an awareness—I was excited to see an awareness on his part," Southeast resident Lisa Alfonzetti said of her son, who plays on the team. "He's really been doing this [fund-raising] himself."

The efforts are integral to the support a patient needs when undergoing treatment. O'Kelly lives in a close-knit neighborhood, so when she was diagnosed, "it was like 30 women got it, too."

O'Kelly said she was shocked then, especially because she made it a habit to keep up with appointments and stay healthy. Now, she says she's "fine," and she looks at her experience as a way to spread the word and help others stay informed.

"It was a blessing," she said.

The boys lost, 2-1, to John Jay Cross River in double overtime.