Jack Sylves is a four-year-old boy with Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Lymphoblastic Leukemia is a type of cancer in the bone marrow where the white blood cells, the lymphocytes, are produced at mass rates, therefore overpopulating the veins. He has been fighting for over a year now and is currently in the maintenance stage of treatment.  

The State College Area High School girls’ soccer team is supporting Jack and his family while he goes through the treatment. 

“Spending time with Jack has helped our team grow in a way that we’ve never experienced before. He has shown us that we are doing something bigger than just soccer,” Savannah Schoonmaker, senior and varsity soccer player, said. The girls are raising funds to help them be able to afford medical expenses, trips to Hershey, and anything else needed.  

On Friday, September 9th, the students met Jack at the State High varsity football game. It was a Neon Out, which the girls dedicated to him. He got to run out with the team, participate in the coin toss, lead a song with the marching band, be part of a cheer with the cheerleading team, and sit in the student section with all the students who attended.  

“We have had this amazing opportunity to serve others and make an impact on others lives,” Schoonmaker said. “Seeing him smile and laugh when he spends time with us reminds us why we do what we do.” 

You can be part of his fight by donating to the Goals For Good fundraising campaign. There are various ways to donate, including flat donations, pledges, or buying a bracelet from the girls.  The bracelets are five dollars. To buy them, contact a girls’ soccer athlete with five dollars and they will get you a bracelet. For more information on how to donate, please contact the athletics office at 814-272-4388 from 7:30 am – 4:30 pm.