This season, when a member of the Liberty High School football team makes a play, he’ll do it for the Mountaineers – and for children across the state who have battled cancer.

 

Inspired by Amanda Mazzie-Pierce and quickly given the stamp of approval by LHS Football Coach A.J. Harman, the local team is taking the lead on a program dedicated to Childhood Cancer Awareness Month; one that organizers hope goes county-wide in 2019.

 

Each player’s helmet bears a sticker with the name of a West Virginia child who has been diagnosed with cancer. Some live on and continue the fight. Some have won their battles. Others have passed on, but have left behind lively memories. All are synonymous of courage and hope.

 

“A helmet with a halo on it is a child who has passed away and any helmet that doesn’t have a halo, that child is either still fighting or has won,” said Mazzie-Pierce, who for the past 15 years has been a dedicated advocate for childhood cancer. In 2003, her little sister Tori Clevenger died after a 13-month battle with glioblastoma, a very rare form of brain cancer. 

 

“She is my hero and my greatest inspiration and above all, she is my heart. My mom, brothers and sisters would tell you the same thing,” Mazzie-Pierce said. “She is the greatest part of us all and I love making these kids smile.”

 

This holiday season will be the fifth year for Tori’s Toy Drive; the collection of dolls, games, books, puzzles and other toys – donated in Tori’s memory – and given to children at WVU Medicine Children’s.

 

Tori’s name is on the helmet of her brother Noah Leggett, who wears No. 10 for the Mountaineers. His best friend Dwayne Bucchanon also wears Tori’s name. He sports No. 23 for LHS. Since Tori’s birthday was Oct. 23, that is pretty special, Mazzie-Pierce said.

 

Among other names familiar to the Bridgeport community – such as Jack Rollins and Etta Horne – are among names on the gridironers’ helmets. Some of the featured children have a special connection with Mazzie-Pierce through the toy drive.

 

“I worked with gentleman whose nephew – Tavian - got sick and I gave him toys from the toy drive right before he passed away,” she said.

 

Upon finding out that Tavian was being remembered and his name displayed on a LHS football helmet, his mother reached out to Harman in tearful appreciation. He, in turn, invited her to a game to meet the player who proudly sported his name.

 

Mazzie-Pierce, who made and applied stickers to all teammembers' helmets, envisions hearing many stories as the days, weeks and games unfold. She also hopes the idea catches on and that other area teams adopt the project in the future. This year, it is an awareness tool, but perhaps it can evolve into a fundraiser, too, with teams, players and fans adopting the name of a childhood cancer victim.

 

“I just wanted to do something special for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month,” Mazzie-Pierce said. “We often see football players showing support for breast cancer awareness in October – which is great – but September belongs to kids and I don’t think we make it a big enough deal. So many children are fighting cancer right now in the state of West Virginia.”

 

After naming all those children she knew had battled cancer, she found the rest on the Kids Cancer Crusaders’ Web site, she said.

Mazzie-Pierce said one shining memory of her little sister is that she was always positive.

 

“She never complained. She always smiled and laughed and she was stronger than all of us,” Mazzie-Pierce said. “She just didn’t make it.”

 

Mazzie-Pierce said Coach Harman and the young men on the Mountaineer football team have been 100 percent supportive of the awareness program. Good things will come of it, she believes.

 

“We should all be humbled,” she said.

 

Melissa Skinner, the mother of Tori, Amanda and Noah, has been instrumental in communicating with the Liberty High football team and helping to coordinate the awareness efforts. She provided photos of team members. 

 

Editor’s Note: Tori’s Toy Drive will kick off on her birthday, Oct. 23, and toys will be delivered to WVU Children’s on Dec. 14, the anniversary of her death. Look for more information to come about the toy drive and how you can help. From top are Noah Leggett, Dwayne Bucchanon, both wearing Tori's name; Clay Sinnett, sporting the name of Jack Rollins and Amanda Mazzie-Pierce during delivery of toys through Tori's Toy Drive.