DGS seniors Daly, Podjasek
blanket cancer patients with support
Students start charity C3forCancer
By Gary Larsen
Back in the fall of 2015 at a Downers Grove South soccer game, the parents of then-freshmen Connor Podjasek and Jack Daly sat in the stands with a woman who was going through cancer treatment.
The woman talked about how physically cold a cancer patient feels while undergoing chemotherapy.
A light bulb went on for both families.
“We talked about how many people we know who had cancer affect their lives in one way or another,” said Podjasek, a senior defender. “And we wanted to start some kind of philanthropy to help people who suffer from it.
“We figured that making hand-made, fleece blankets would be a good way to give them a token to show that there are people thinking about them. It would also be something useful for them.”
Daly and Podjasek founded C3forCancer, now in its fourth year of providing hand-made blankets to chemotherapy patients in multiple cancer centers and hospitals in the Downers Grove area.
Nearing the end of its most recent blanket drive, the charity (Facebook.com/C3forCancer) will have delivered approximately 600 blankets in four years.
The charitable exploits of Daly, a senior midfielder, and Podjasek couldn't make Downers Grove South soccer coach Jon Stapleton any prouder.
“Jack and Connor are great kids, representing themselves and their families the right way,” Stapleton said. “We feel blessed to have them as part of our family as soccer players.”
C3forCancer delivered only 18 blankets in its first year in 2015. Then area families like the Doys and Kohlsaats joined in the endeavor. Deliveries jumped to 140 blankets in 2016 and 220 in 2017 as Daly and Podjasek found their footing in the world of charity fundraising
“Jack and I, and our families, all had our own social webs,” Podjasek said. “So we asked people to please pass along the message to support our cause. It’s gotten an absolutely wonderful response.”
Each blanket is made of two 3-yard-by-3-yard pieces of fabric. They are overlapped and tied together around the edges after slits are cut around the entire border.
Daly and Podjasek created a Facebook page and encouraged people to donate money or to make their own blankets. As monetary donations swelled, it became clear that the homes of the Podjaseks and Dalys would essentially be turned into blanket-manufacturing centers.
Male high school athletes don’t typically find themselves wandering the aisles at Joann fabric stores in search of large quantities of fleece, but that’s where Podjasek and Daly soon could be found.
“Our garage right now is stuffed with about 150 blankets’ worth of fleece, waiting to be put together,” Podjasek said. “It became way more a part of our lives than we anticipated.
“We also thought it would sort of stay between our two families, but I didn’t realize the amount of outreach our Facebook pages would give us, along with word-of-mouth. We didn’t account for what a significant thing cancer is in so many people’s lives.”
Stapleton and his coaching staff helped to get the ball rolling three years ago, and he’s been amazed at how far Podjasek and Daly have taken the endeavor.
“We put the word out to our program, but they’re also soliciting families, friends, and neighbors, all to get these blanket to people going through these treatments, and to create some caring and compassion for what they’re dealing with,” Stapleton said.
“Again, we just feel blessed to have them as part of our family as soccer players.”
Podjasek hasn’t picked a college yet but intends to study biomedical engineering once he gets there. He also intends to do his part in keeping C3forCancer going after he moves on from Downers Grove South.
“I’ll have a full schedule in college, but I can still organize things from my laptop wherever I am,” Podjasek said. “Plus, I’ll have a whole new social circle of people in college that can hopefully contribute as well. Who knows — I could pass it along to my kids someday, or Jack can pass it along to his kids.”
To donate to the cause, visit Facebook.com/C3forCancer.
blanket cancer patients with support
Students start charity C3forCancer
By Gary Larsen
Back in the fall of 2015 at a Downers Grove South soccer game, the parents of then-freshmen Connor Podjasek and Jack Daly sat in the stands with a woman who was going through cancer treatment.
The woman talked about how physically cold a cancer patient feels while undergoing chemotherapy.
A light bulb went on for both families.
“We talked about how many people we know who had cancer affect their lives in one way or another,” said Podjasek, a senior defender. “And we wanted to start some kind of philanthropy to help people who suffer from it.
“We figured that making hand-made, fleece blankets would be a good way to give them a token to show that there are people thinking about them. It would also be something useful for them.”
Daly and Podjasek founded C3forCancer, now in its fourth year of providing hand-made blankets to chemotherapy patients in multiple cancer centers and hospitals in the Downers Grove area.
Nearing the end of its most recent blanket drive, the charity (Facebook.com/C3forCancer) will have delivered approximately 600 blankets in four years.
The charitable exploits of Daly, a senior midfielder, and Podjasek couldn't make Downers Grove South soccer coach Jon Stapleton any prouder.
“Jack and Connor are great kids, representing themselves and their families the right way,” Stapleton said. “We feel blessed to have them as part of our family as soccer players.”
C3forCancer delivered only 18 blankets in its first year in 2015. Then area families like the Doys and Kohlsaats joined in the endeavor. Deliveries jumped to 140 blankets in 2016 and 220 in 2017 as Daly and Podjasek found their footing in the world of charity fundraising
“Jack and I, and our families, all had our own social webs,” Podjasek said. “So we asked people to please pass along the message to support our cause. It’s gotten an absolutely wonderful response.”
Each blanket is made of two 3-yard-by-3-yard pieces of fabric. They are overlapped and tied together around the edges after slits are cut around the entire border.
Daly and Podjasek created a Facebook page and encouraged people to donate money or to make their own blankets. As monetary donations swelled, it became clear that the homes of the Podjaseks and Dalys would essentially be turned into blanket-manufacturing centers.
Male high school athletes don’t typically find themselves wandering the aisles at Joann fabric stores in search of large quantities of fleece, but that’s where Podjasek and Daly soon could be found.
“Our garage right now is stuffed with about 150 blankets’ worth of fleece, waiting to be put together,” Podjasek said. “It became way more a part of our lives than we anticipated.
“We also thought it would sort of stay between our two families, but I didn’t realize the amount of outreach our Facebook pages would give us, along with word-of-mouth. We didn’t account for what a significant thing cancer is in so many people’s lives.”
Stapleton and his coaching staff helped to get the ball rolling three years ago, and he’s been amazed at how far Podjasek and Daly have taken the endeavor.
“We put the word out to our program, but they’re also soliciting families, friends, and neighbors, all to get these blanket to people going through these treatments, and to create some caring and compassion for what they’re dealing with,” Stapleton said.
“Again, we just feel blessed to have them as part of our family as soccer players.”
Podjasek hasn’t picked a college yet but intends to study biomedical engineering once he gets there. He also intends to do his part in keeping C3forCancer going after he moves on from Downers Grove South.
“I’ll have a full schedule in college, but I can still organize things from my laptop wherever I am,” Podjasek said. “Plus, I’ll have a whole new social circle of people in college that can hopefully contribute as well. Who knows — I could pass it along to my kids someday, or Jack can pass it along to his kids.”
To donate to the cause, visit Facebook.com/C3forCancer.