Sports

St. Michael Cagers Will Lace 'Em Up for Luke

The new/old tradition of raising cancer awareness on the basketball court becomes hits home Thursday when the girls' high school team honors Luke Letellier.

Tributes and tricked-out uniforms have been used for the past several years in basketball–at all levels–to raise cancer awareness.

Girls' and women's teams have donned everything from pink wristbands and shoelaces to completely pink uniforms to raise breast cancer awareness.

Men's and boys' teams have participated in tournaments all over the country, including the Jimmy V Classic for the late Jim Volvano, to raise millions of dollars for cancer reasearch.

Find out what's happening in St. Michaelwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Thursday night, girls' basketball will get in on the action, with a tribute to one remarkable young man.

As the top-seeded (Section 8-4A) host rival Buffalo on their home floor at 7:15 p.m. (with frosh and JV games starting at 5:45 p.m.), the Knights will use their Cancer Awareness Night to honor Luke Letellier, a 16-year-old high school student who is suffering from advanced rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of childhood cancer.

Find out what's happening in St. Michaelwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

To raise funds for the Letellier family, the girls' basketball team and parents will be selling raffle tickets for a variety of incredible prizes, including flat screen television, tickets to the Minnesota Timberwolves game and an autographed basketball signed by Wolves rookie Drrick Williams.

Girls' head coach Kent Hamre said it was a great way for the team to give back to a local cause.

The Letellier family has been battling cancer as part of Team Luke since "Lukie" was in eighth grade.

He was given a clear set of scans in early 2011, but the cancer returned last summer, and has been very aggressive. He was told treatments were not effective, and assigned hospice care late last year.

But Luke has, to this point, defied the odds, celebrating Christmas with his family and helping unveil

"His attitude is just amazing," said assistant principal Jolene Herfelt. "He's never down about it."

Drawings will be held at the hlaftime of the varisty game. Tickets for the raffle are $5 for one ticket, $10 for three tickets and $20 for seven chances at the win.

Oh, and by the way ... the last time Buffalo and St. Michael-Albertville squared off the Bison overcame a double-digit Knights' advantage and won the Section 8-4A title game in Collegeville.


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