University School Cornerback Sets $5,000 Fundraising Goal for CK Foundation at Playoff Game

Mike Papouras is turning a Friday night playoff game into a direct financial bid for childhood cancer families. The University School junior cornerback has set a $5,000 fundraising target for the CK Foundation, a goal he expects to meet during the team's matchup against Howland in Warren.

Papouras organized the effort, titled "Some Things are Bigger than Football," to generate revenue for families currently battling the disease. He stated the primary aim is to raise money to support families in the fight right now. The game will feature a gold out, utilizing the official color for childhood cancer awareness. Players on the field will wear gold laces and decals as part of the visual commitment to the cause.

The initiative traces back to October 20, 2023, when Mentor High School honored Jack Sawyer, a 17-year-old student fighting Ewing sarcoma. Sawyer, who had an aggressive bone cancer, was named honorary captain of the Mentor High Cardinals. During that game, players from Euclid, who wore yellow, presented him with a shirt bearing the phrase "Some Things are Bigger than Football."

Papouras was 13 years old at the time, and his father served as superintendent of Euclid City Schools. The memory of that night stayed with him, leading to the realization that some children deal with hardships far heavier than his own. He expressed a desire to make the process a little easier for those children. Sawyer died shortly after the 2023 event.

This fall, Papouras reached out to Sawyer's mother, Dawn, to request her permission to honor her son through the fundraiser. He told Dawn that although he never met Jack, he kept thinking about a kid his age who loved football and lifted others up. Dawn described the letter as an amazing gesture and confirmed that Jack's legacy lives on. She is expected to join Papouras on the field for Friday's contest.

Support extends beyond the University School roster. A Mentor High football player contacted Dawn to announce that the entire Cardinals team will wear yellow socks in Sawyer's honor during their Friday night game against Euclid. The player noted that the senior class made a specific point of finding a way to remember Sawyer. Dawn also credited Justin Hodge, a former Mentor student now playing at Miami University, with helping keep the memory alive.

The campaign also incorporates Sawyer's personal motto, PACE, which stands for Positive Attitude Changes Everything. That phrase was read by the stadium announcer during the 2023 game. Papouras hopes that the audience at Friday's game will hear the motto and carry it with them. The $5,000 goal serves as the measurable financial target for the evening's efforts.