Kickball event to raise money for teen cancer patient

The “Presley’s Pack” fundraiser Saturday at Renziehausen Park is open to participants of all ages.

An afternoon of kickball Saturday at McKeesport’s Renziehausen Park will help 14-year-old Presley Love in her battle against cancer.

“Kickin’ Cancer: Presley’s Pack Kickball Tournament” will take place from 1 to 6 p.m. near the park’s baseball fields. In addition to the tournament, which is open to all ages, there will be food, vendors, games and family fun.

At age 12, Presley was diagnosed with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia on Valentine’s Day 2024.

“I was sick for about three weeks,” she said. “It started out with a headache, and I realized it was after I ate.”

Presley’s mom, Stacey, said within three weeks they saw eight doctors who kept saying it was a virus or a concussion, even though she never hit her head.

They went to the emergency room at Children’s Hospital after Presley turned yellow, and she was diagnosed with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia — a type of blood cancer that affects immature white blood cells called B lymphocytes.

Stacey said she had to advocate for her daughter and still does in an effort to understand why this is happening to Presley.

“This is a cancer that typically younger children get, and typically, they are boys,” Stacey said. “We just want to help, and we are eager to be on the other side of this.”

Presley continues to face her journey and undergoes treatment with incredible strength, surrounded by her older sister Alivia and three younger brothers. Her attendance at school is based on her immune system.

Presley gets chemo through her spine and through her chemo port occasionally, and takes chemo pills every day at home. She is at Children’s Hospital three to four days a week, wears braces on her legs and experiences nausea and other effects from the chemotherapy.

“She’s had a lot of side effects that we are trying to overcome in addition to (physical therapy) and (occupational therapy) and it’s blood transfusions, hospital stays, neurology appointments,” Stacey said. “There is a large team of doctors that we deal with. We’re there a lot.”

Presley is starting her own foundation called Presley’s Pack, which will hand out backpacks to patients.

“I’ve met a lot of cancer patients that have become my friends. I want to be for other people what I didn’t have. I didn’t have a person who had a cheat sheet for the side effects.”

When she was first diagnosed, Presley said she received a big backpack of items to help during treatments, and as she has been going through this, she has received more and more of them.

She wants to give out customizable bags to other patients, buying items with her own money.

“I’ve met a lot of cancer patients that have become my friends,” Presley said. “I want to be for other people what I didn’t have. I didn’t have a person who had a cheat sheet for the side effects.”

Through it all, Presley remains positive, is smiling, loves lacrosse, music, Legos, fun TV shows, reading and being around people who lift her up.

So it was only fitting to be around people for the event this weekend, according to Stacey, who said Presley gets a lot of motivation to keep going based on other people and their support. It also gets her mind off her battle with cancer.

“I am just excited for people to be together,” Presley said. “I’m a big people person, and I like big events like this where we hang out and I can take a break from what’s going on in the real world.”

To show Presley and her family they are not alone, Presley’s aunt Kristy Pany and Alivia are working to host the Kickin’ Cancer Fundraiser with all proceeds going directly to help with Presley’s treatment and family expenses.

“Presley’s strength, smile, and determination have inspired so many of us,” Pany said. “Now it’s our turn to rally around her. This event will bring together friends, families and neighbors for an unforgettable day of kickball games, carnival-style fun, and community spirit — all in Presley’s honor.”

Pany said more families wanted to be involved in the event. Teams can have an unlimited number of players of any age with a $10 donation per player.

“We wanted it to be family fun, and we wanted a kickball tournament so it’s not too competitive, and since me and Presley are two out of five kids,” Alivia said. “So we are just a very big family, and it plays a big role in it as well.”

Along with the kickball games, there will be food from various vendors, basket raffles, a kids’ area with games, face painting, a bounce house, a balloon artist and more.

Since Pany opened a business, she has launched several fundraisers and found starting one for her niece was a good way to help Presley with her treatment costs.

“Unfortunately since last year, the fundraisers have hit closer to home,” Pany said. “It’s kind of nice because I can reach out to people that have helped me in the past. We have such a strong community that they just want to PRESLEY LOVE

support.”

She added that it’s been hard on the whole family and that they are looking for people to turn to as reliable sources.

Stacey said they have met people in the hospitals who have become family through this all, and Presley has lost friends throughout her journey. They hope for a large crowd to show up this weekend and be by Presley’s side.

“There’s just a total other aspect of this and I think these events bring her all the joy that she deserves,” Stacey said. “We are just a close-knit family, and we just wanted people around us and for Presley to enjoy the day.”

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