Event celebrates late athlete’s legacy of helping
During the toughest point in Travis Reese’s battle with leukemia, when he was stuck in a hospital bed on life support for almost three months, the Anthony Myers Movement was there for him.
It wasn’t just the money that the nonprofit group provided to Reese and his family that helped them, but the Christmas presents, encouragement and friendship that he received from Ed Myers, who runs the movement in memory of his late son, Anthony.
And as Reese, 18, of Gilbertsville, continues his recovery from the disease and the complications of chemotherapy, he also senses support from Anthony himself, a Berks Catholic High School athlete who died of brain cancer in December 2019.
“I feel a little part of Anthony has been cheering me on,” Reese said. “The more I’ve learned about him, I knew we were pretty much the same person.”
On Sunday, Aug. 8, Reese was among those who received another spirit grant from the group during its Berks Summer Bash social gathering, musical event and fundraiser held at the Reading Liederkranz in Lower Alsace Township.
The Anthony Myers Movement was founded in early 2019 with the goal of fulfilling Anthony’s personal mission of “helping others, just like others helped him.” Through fundraising events and donations, grants are provided
to local families who have a child with a life-threatening illness, and to medical field endeavors.
“Anthony started the movement, and we’re carrying on his dream,” Ed Myers said.
So far the group has given out more than $71,000 in medical need and spirit grants to six families, along with a nursing scholarship.
The goal is to give them longterm support instead of a onetime contribution, Ed said, and
several of those who’ve been sponsored attended Sunday’s event and said the help has meant so much to them.
Reese is now in remission but continues to rehabilitate from nerve damage to his legs. This week he will head to Emory University in Atlanta, where he’s majoring in biophysics on a pre-med track, and he said he’ll never forget how the movement has been there for him, his mother Sandy
and his two siblings.
“They let me know that somebody cared,” he said.
Chad Barron of Tamaqua, whose 19-year-old son, Carson, has fought a type of bone cancer known as osteosarcoma, said the grants helped him and his family to transport and visit Carson during his many days at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.
“They went above and beyond for us,” he said. “They’re an awesome organization.”
During a checkup three weeks ago Carson was told he’s now clear of the disease. He is majoring in exercise science at Lehigh Carbon Community College. Last summer was rough, though, as he endured chemotherapy treatments while his classmates were having fun at the pool and the beach, he said.
His friendship with Ed helped get him through that time, he said, and he hopes to soon give gifts and support to younger cancer patients as a way to continue that cycle of caring.
“It means a lot to him (Ed) to help other people,” Carson said. “There aren’t a lot of people like him.”
Alex Alkons of Exeter Township had Ed as his physical education teacher when he was growing up in Kutztown but now knows him as the leader of the group that provided grants to Alkons’ family when their son Logan was diagnosed with T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma almost two years ago. Logan is now 5 and takes medicine daily as part of his ongoing chemotherapy regimen, but he’s doing as well as could be expected, Alex said.
Among the grants the family received was one to build a flower and vegetable garden for Logan to play and work in. His son loves gardening, Alex said, and the garden has been a blessing as COVID and Logan’s illness have forced them to stay home so often over the last two years.
The calls and camaraderie from Ed have also been very important, Alex said.
“There were times when things were pretty rough,” he said, “and having Coach (Ed) to talk to was great.”