GREENFIELD — For seven years, Greenfield-Central’s girls’ soccer program has honored one of their own in the best way they could imagine.
In tribute to former soccer booster Melinda “Mindy” Dunn, the mother of former G-C soccer player Courtney Dunn, each season the team holds the Kickin’ Cancer Tournament, a fundraiser for the Sue Ann Wortman Cancer Center and Hancock Health Foundation.
Mindy Dunn lost her battle in 2013, but her memory lives on in the annual event.
Last month the team presented a check to the local health organization for $3,372 from the four-team tournament held in September.
Considering the restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic, organizer chairman Heather Huber said she wasn’t sure what to expect.
“Hancock County and our citizens are the most giving people,” Huber said. “It’s so heartwarming. Seeing how giving our community is is always very moving. I think that’s why, this year, we continued to have such a successful tournament.
“You put out there that someone is in need, our community always steps up. I dreaded having to organize and prepare this year. People are struggling, losing jobs, getting laid off. I was fearful the response would be negative, but once again our community raised over $3,300.”
Huber said members of the soccer team were unable to go out and meet face-to-face with businesses, so a lot of the donations — with Huber reaching out on social media — came from individuals that offered to make baskets and items to auction.
She said the biggest chunk came from online sales of t-shirts through local company Rocker Apparel.
They also received large donations through luminaries in honor and memory of those that have lost their battles or are still fighting. It was also done through online sales.
Huber added that another key to the success of the event were the volunteering efforts of the soccer parents, along with Strike Force Lanes, which helped provide packaged meals to teams.
The event was started by former head coach Erin Clark. Mindy Dunn was a long time supporter of local youth soccer and her daughter, Courtney Dunn was a goalkeeper on the Cougars team. Mindy Dunn also had a son that played soccer at the school.
Each year the tournament is a one-day four-team event. Each year in between the consolation and championship match they light the luminaries as the sun is going down prior to the final match.
For the first five years of the event donations were given to the American Cancer Society. The last two years money raised has gone to the local cancer center.
“With so many people being affected locally, and now that we have the resources right here in Greenfield, we decided in 2019 to keep all of our funds raised local,” Huber said. “A lot of that had to do with the parents that were helping and the people who we know that had been touched and are being treated right here in town.”
Huber’s daughter, Macy, was a senior on this year’s team. Heather said she will not be as closely involved in the future, but the tournament and the cause will continue to live on, just like’s Dunn’s memory.
“Everybody is affected. That’s why this is such an easy event for us to keep doing,” Greenfield-Central girls’ soccer head coach Brandon Steeno said. “We’ve had players, through the years, they’ve had somebody they’re doing it for.
“It doesn’t feel like a chore. It’s something the girls really get behind.”
