NFL player’s game-worn cleat headlines charity auction in Oak Lawn – Boston Herald

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Who would guess that three used shoes might collectively net five figures?

That’s the hope of the Christmas Without Cancer officials when the smoke clears from its third Touchdown Showdown event, which takes place Saturday, Feb. 4 at St. James Place in Oak Lawn.

One of the main events is the raffling of Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end Patrick O’Connor’s shoe that he wore in a game in 2022.

He has donated an autographed cleat for the past two events, and Christmas Without Cancer Vice President Renee Copeland said the first two cleats fetched approximately $6,000. She hopes this year’s shoe auction will double that and raise $6,000.

This year, the winning package also will feature a Tampa Bay Buccaneers medallion and picture frame filled with $50 bills.

“This is his hometown and he has quite the following,” Copeland said. “His family and friends actually participate in the event.”

O’Connor’s aunt Dottie Kirwan, a breast cancer survivor, “always pulls the ticket for us,” Copeland said.

“Every dollar helps,” she said. “It adds up and helps our organization. And all of this brings attention to us in a positive way.”

Raffle tickets are $10 and can be purchased through Saturday at St. James Place, 5305 West 95th Street in Oak Lawn or online at https://app.donorview.com/DxDDp.

The event will also have a split-the-pot drawing and drawings for baskets that include prizes of lottery tickets, football-themed items and a basket featuring White Claw products.

The drawing for the cleats will take place at 8 p.m. Saturday at St. James Place and will be streamed live on the Christmas Without Cancer Facebook page.

My Cause, My Cleats is an NFL initiative that allows football players to choose a charitable cause with and they wear custom cleats during a game showcasing their cause.

This is the third year the 29-year-old O’Connor has chosen Christmas Without Cancer for his charity.

The St. Rita and Eastern Michigan graduate has made a nice career for himself on special teams. He gets some limited time in on defense and in 2020, the first time we wore the special cleats, he chalked up his first career NFL sack.

Christmas Without Cancer founder Gerri Neylon said it was the first time her organization received national attention.

The charity started up in 2003 and has aided thousands of people across the Chicago area by providing holiday gifts, as well as basic necessities to families that are stricken with cancer.

Copeland is quick to point out that despite the name, the charity helps families all year and not just during the holiday season.

She said the organization identifies and adopts multiple families throughout the year and supplies them with gift cards for groceries, medications, gas, and other need items, as well as help with mortgage payments, rent, day care expenses, tuition and travel-related expenses for treatment.

“We receive applications from families every single day,” Copeland said. “And we help families every single day. So, the need is definitely there.

“Christmas is our busiest time of the year and we help the most families but when it’s over, we go right back into it. It’s a terrible disease and I feel like every day — the stories we hear — it makes you want to do more.”

While death from cancer proves to be inevitable for some of the families, there also are some that experience happier outcomes, and that makes Copeland feel good.

Earlier in January, Copeland had a feel-good encounter with survivor Christine Erfft.

“This woman had a terrible stomach cancer,” Copeland said. “She had to have a large part of her stomach removed. One of my favorite pictures I ever posted on our social media pages is this woman holding up a poster that said ‘cancer free.’

“She ended up coming to our Christmas party and I got to meet her for the first time. It was just so nice to meet her in person. She was a person we helped and she was so thankful and grateful. What a remarkable thing.”

Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.

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