ROGERS, Minn. — The hockey community in Rogers has been busy the last few weeks with a big fundraising push for a rare form of cancer that has impacted several of their own.
"It's gone up several thousand since this weekend," said organizer Kari Como. "It's crazy to think, I didn't know what to expect."
For a lot of Minnesotans, hockey is a way of life. But for Como, it's helping to save lives.
The hockey mom-turned-fundraiser is dedicated to raising all those dollars to fight a rare disease that one Rogers player -- Carter Haw -- faced from 2021-2022.
"We were completely shocked," said his mom Sam Haw. "He was perfectly healthy, he was active. There were no fevers; there were no major symptoms or signs that things were wrong."
"I thought I had just fallen on it or I had got hit with a puck," said Carter, who didn't fight the battle by himself.
Unfortunately, fellow player Riley Kane was diagnosed with it, too.
"I felt sad that I couldn't see any of my friends and had to stay home," said Riley.
Both of the boys were hit hard by Sarcoma -- cancer that comes in different variations -- but can appear anywhere on the body as a lump or bump. It enlarges over time and involves deep tissue sometimes presenting with pain or without.
"Not knowing anything about it and then all of a sudden -- and there's all these families," said Sam.
Dozens of rounds of chemo and multiple surgeries later, the boys are back on the rink. Como was there all along, hopeful her silent auction would make a difference.
"Now I know how to build this bigger and better, I guess, for our association and to support Riley and Carter, and in my own way, keep the memory of my husband alive," said Como, whose husband, Josh, died from the same disease in 2020.
It's a loss that makes this mother's mission that much more personal.
"It's for the kids," said Como. "My kids and others."
The team fundraiser earned at least $10,000, all of which will be donated to a Minnesota foundation called Rein in Sarcoma that people can still donate to here.
It was started about 20 years ago and has since donated more than $2 million to research and education at organizations like the Mayo Clinic and the University of Minnesota.
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