UF Student-Athletes Unite For Climb For Cancer
Friday, October 22, 2010 | General
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The young boy was bald and very sick.
But Ron Farb can still see the smile on Brandon Ling's face as former Gator basketball player Corey Brewer signed an autograph for him. Decked out in a Gators basketball jersey, Ling asked Brewer to sign an unusual item.
He wanted an autograph on his bald head. Brewer took a magic marker and signed away.
“He was an adorable little boy,'' Farb said Thursday. “He was just so sick that day, yet when he had the opportunity to meet the Gator basketball players, it was like somebody had just given him a shot of adrenaline.''
Sadly, Ling passed away from cancer a few weeks after Brewer and the Gators made his day. On Saturday, the fifth annual Brandon Ling Memorial Sports Camp is taking place at the UF Sports Complex.
Farb's Climb for Cancer Foundation is putting on the event with the help of approximately 100 UF student-athletes. The student-athletes will play games and compete with cancer-stricken kids and their siblings in football, basketball, soccer, volleyball and cheerleading.
Farb organizes the event each year through his Climb for Cancer Foundation, which raises money to help the families of children with cancer. With the UF student-athletes the top draw, Farb said the event has become one of his foundation's most important days of the year.
“This sports camp is one way that we can give back,'' Farb said. “It's a wonderful half-day where these children can forget about their cancer, or their bald heads or missing limbs. They just get out there and have a ball.
“The untold story is the part the student-athletes play. The media is quick to point out the one that beats up his girlfriend or drives drunk, but they don't tell the story about the 99 percent of them who are just wonderful kids who give up their Saturday morning to come and play with these children.''
Farb made such an impression on former Gator football player James Smith that Smith continues to participate in the event even though his playing career ended in 2008. Smith played in 53 games for the Gators from 2005-08, serving as special-teams captain his final season when Florida won its second national title in three years.
At first, Smith said most of his conversations with Farb were about all the mountains Farb has climbed to raise money for cancer awareness, hence the name of his foundation. Soon, Smith wanted to join Farb's fight against cancer in a more direct way.
“Ron is an inspiration,'' Smith said. “He is a very successful business man, but his passion in life is his foundation.''
Smith's involvement with Farb's foundation reached new heights last fall – in the most literal sense – when Farb invited him to go climb Mount Aconcagua in Argentina, whose highest summit is nearly 23,000 feet above sea level.
Smith accepted the offer and wants to remain a part of Farb's mission to help young cancer patients and their families. The annual sports camp at UF is one way to stay involved.
“It's really a great deal,'' Smith said. “The kids just love it.''
This year's camp has special meaning to Farb, who first got involved in helping young cancer patients in 1991 when he started volunteering at Camp Sunshine in Georgia around the time his sister Harriet was diagnosed with cancer.
Soon afterward, Farb started climbing the world's tallest mountains to raise money in the fight against the disease, including a journey up Mount Everest. Three years ago, Farb and Harriet climbed Africa's Mount Kilimanjaro together, with Harriet becoming the first person on chemotherapy to climb Kilimanjaro according to Farb.
Harriet, 69, passed away two weeks ago. Farb will think about her a lot on Saturday.
“I'm sort of in the grieving process,'' Farb said. “It's going to be a tough day for me. She was such an inspiration.''
Approximately 90 children ages 7 to 18 are expected to participate in Saturday's camp. Smith can't wait to show them some football drills and share the experience with other UF student-athletes.
“We have a lot of fun,'' he said. “The kids absolutely love it and so do we.''
