A Shot For Life scores once again
Soccer benefits raise $175k in cancer fight
WEYMOUTH >> As Mike Slonina entered the Union Sports Complex Sunday afternoon, even he had a hard time contemplating just how much the fruits of his labor were beginning to pay off.
The founder and CEO of A Shot For Life, Slonina has watched his project morph from a simple basketball exhibition into a regional phenomenon, dedicated to the war on cancer itself. This past weekend, the foundation hosted a pair of All-Star soccer games, its latest endeavor of love.
“It’s grown tremendously,” Slonina said. “I think in the beginning, we were considered a basketball organization. That’s definitely not the case, and a huge example of why was because our first event outside of Massachusetts was actually in Connecticut, and it was soccer. … (It went great) last year, and we built on that this year. We consider these sports as their own initiatives at A Shot For Life. ASFL Soccer doubled from last year to this year. That’s really exciting, so it’s been great to watch the growth.”
Founded 13 years ago in the Bay State, ASFL was started when Slonina’s mother was diagnosed with a potentially malignant brain tumor. Initially, the former hoopster opted to shoot a basketball for 24 hours in a gym to help raise money for treatment.
Since, the foundation has expanded to feature high school exhibitions across an array of sports. In a similar format akin to what the organization has attempted to recreate during its inception, some of the premier talent from across the state put on a show for the assembled crowd in attendance. This included athletes from both the ISL and the MIAA.
During the girls’ matinee to open the day, Hopkinton standout Georgina Clarke sniped a pair of goals, as did Ayla Sahin of Tabor Academy and Nobles star Caitlin Driscoll, propelling Team White to a 9-5 victory over Team Blue.
For Clarke, joining A Shot For Life had added meaning. The Boston College commit lost her close cousin Kinga following a five-year battle with cancer, and single handedly raised $1,000 during the weeks leading up to the showcase.
In the game’s waning moments, the senior sniped a tally to put things away.
“This program means so much to me,” Clarke said afterward. “My cousin died from cancer, so I think it was really important for raising money, supporting something (bigger than myself). The program and the event were so fun. It was so worth it. I’m here with all my friends, and it was such a memorable moment for me.”
In a highly-contested nightcap, Milton Academy junior Alejandro Palacio sniped a pair of goals, including the game-winner in the 78th minute, as Team Blue overcame a 2-0 deficit en route to a wild 4-3 victory during the boys’ All-Star events.
Like Clarke, Palacio was focused on playing for family. His grandfather Federico passed away as a result of the dreaded disease, and the junior was driven to raise awareness playing a sport he truly loves.
“This event was absolutely amazing,” Palacio said. “There’s a lot of great talent, and beyond that, everyone here is trying to do something really good with the fundraising. That’s why I love this organization.”
According to Slonina, $90,000 was raised between the two games for cancer research at Massachusetts General Hospital. That number balloons to $175,000 with Connecticut’s games included.
Slonina hopes to expand his project even further, possibly to the West Coast in the very near future.
“We’re really strategic here,” said Slonina. “We do have these long sort of plans, and the horizon for those plans is long. These are all long-term things that we’re all building on here. I would say that it is exciting to watch it come to life.”