St. James football coach Mark Fischer is in the midst of his biggest struggle.
And while his bone cancer diagnosis has nothing to do with football, his connection with the game is helping. It continues this weekend, as the first of multiple planned fundraisers for the coach takes place at the Beaver Bar in Murrells Inlet.
The event, part of the "Fist Up For Fischer" campaign, runs from 8 a.m.-noon Sunday. Breakfast is $5, and additional donations will be accepted. There is also an all-day event planned at Creek Ratz on the Marshwalk for November 18. We'll provide more details for that as they become available.
Fischer's prognosis has not been great so far. But he's not giving up, and he's said the support from the community is a major reason why.
"Call Guinness," Fischer said earlier this month, referring to the Guinness Book of World Records. "We’re gonna be the first ones to beat this damn thing. There’s so many people involved.
“It is what it is. There isn’t a cure for it. It doesn’t mean I’m going to fall over tomorrow. … Time will tell how successful it is.”
It's a process that even with state employee insurance benefits will not be cheap. That's where the fundraisers come in.
But they aren't relegated to the Grand Strand. Fischer's former school - Louisa County (Va.) - is holding a 5k run/walk and chili cookoff November 3. All proceeds for that event will also go toward helping with the coach's medical bills.
