Friends Fight Cancer, One Rebound At A Time

This is what friends are for.

For the last two years, four Solon teenagers united by tragedy have waged war against cancer, one rebound at a time.

In 2011, Adam Katz's dad was sick. He was dying of a rare cancer in hospice.

So Adam's friends, at the time all eighth graders at , did the only thing they could. They helped.

Adam and his friends — Zach Shafron, Daniel Axner and Peter Zeid — organized a fundraiser around something they all enjoyed: sports.

The boys created and planned a basketball tournament, using social media and word-of-mouth to spread the word.

Two days before the event, Adam's dad passed away. They carried through with the event and raised about $1,500 for the Hospice of the Western Reserve, where Adam's dad was a patient.

Jodi Katz, Adam's mom, said that Zach took the lead on planning the event.

"He said to his mom: 'If this was my dad, I would hope someone would be there for me,'" Jodi Katz said. "It goes to show you what kids can do."

A year later, Adam and his friends are freshmen at Solon High School organized another basketball tournament. Rebound 4 Research, held earlier this month at the , was a bigger, more organized version of last year's event.

This year, the tournament raised money for the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, which treats rare cancers. Adam's dad received treatment there for his rare sarcoma.

The event raised $2,500, which was the boys' goal for the event.

The boys said they hope the money they raise can make a big difference in the life of a cancer patient.

"I think he's really proud of me," Adam said of his father. "I think he's really happy, and looking down on me with a smile."

Jodi Katz said that Adam has been through a lot in the last few years. He's learned about life and giving back.

And the value of friendship.

"He's changed," she said. "But his friends have been there for him through it all."