TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – Sports fans are buying cardboard cutouts of themselves so they can attend games during the pandemic. But, this is a different kind of fan story and a different sort of athletic activism, started by a young soccer fan who kicked off a national movement to rally around kids.
The story begins in 2014. Twelve-year-old soccer player Cole Eicher had recently been diagnosed with brain cancer. To lift his spirits, the Tampa Bay Rowdies professional soccer team made him a part of the team, signing him to a one-day contract.
Fast forward to today. Cole, who went through surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, is cancer-free, and a freshman at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg. He’s also still a member of the Rowdies – kind of.
“Word got around that I was on the team for technically one day, and it’s grown into a lifelong membership,” laughed Cole.
To steal a phrase from the Rowdies, Cole gave cancer a “kick in the grass” and started #GoldTogether, a campaign with three goals in mind: increase awareness about childhood cancer, raise money for pediatric cancer research, and provide support for kids and families whose lives have been impacted by cancer.
“I saw that the average kids diagnosed with cancer were very young, and they really needed a lot of support,” Cole said.
Soon, the American Cancer Society joined Cole’s team, embracing #GoldTogether to help raise awareness about childhood cancer.
“The American Cancer Society has really grabbed on to this movement like no other, and we’re touching families in their local communities now, which is amazing to see,” Cole said.
Thanks to Cole, the Rowdies host #GoldTogether games, inviting children with cancer to spend a few hours not thinking about their diagnosis. Unfortunately, #GoldTogether games weren’t possible this year because of the pandemic.
Instead, Cole worked with the American Cancer Society and Florida Print Solutions to create a crowd of life-sized photos of kids who would have been in attendance. Approximately 60 likenesses took to the stands behind the players’ bench.
Cole’s hope is that one day the children represented in those photos will be able to attend a Rowdies game in the future cancer-free, just as he is.
To learn more about #GoldTogether, simply search the hashtag, or visit www.goldtogether.com.
