The MACC Fund, Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer, Inc. will benefit from the 37th annual Bucks MACC Fund Game on Friday, October 25 when the Bucks take on the Toronto Raptors at the BMO Harris Bradley Center at 7:30 pm. The game is one of the longest running charity games in the NBA and has raised $1.4 million for the MACC Fund. The MACC Fund will present a reveal of its new logo in a unique event during pre-game activities which will also include the presentation of the game ball by a young cancer patient.
In addition, the Bucks will host a pregame Halloween Hoopla party starting at 5:30 pm in the upper concourse level of the BMO Harris Bradley Center featuring fun and games and family priced food. The game ticket will also provide admission to the Halloween Hoopla. Children 14 and under will have a chance to win a Trek bike and also be in a costume contest with the winners chosen during half time of the game. The Bucks will host a Silent Auction benefiting the MACC Fund which will run through half time of the game and will feature Bucks items as well as an Aaron Rodgers autographed football. Like the Bucks, Aaron Rodgers is very supportive of the MACC Fund.
All fans 14 and under will receive a voucher upon admission redeemable for a new MACC Fund logo t-shirt including a Bucks logo. T-shirts will be distributed upon presenting the voucher at a designated location after tipoff.
Tickets starting at $10 are on sale in the ticket office in the BMO Harris Bradley Center, at Bucks.com or by calling Ticketmaster at 1-800-4-NBA-TIX as well as in the ticket office at the BMO Harris Bradley Center on game night.
The new MACC Fund logo reflects its mission to support research to find a cure childhood cancer and related blood disorders. The MACC Fund started with the Bucks, but soon other teams in the state and their fans also became supporters of the MACC Fund. The new logo represents the colors of the state’s teams. The logo’s tagline, HOPE FOR KIDS, defines the MACC Fund’s mission. The market research and brand strategy for the logo was provided pro-bono by Brandgarten. The logo was designed by Tweaky 100 of Madison.
The MACC Fund began during a Bucks game on December 10, 1976, when the “Original Milwaukee Buck,” Jon McGlocklin - or “Jonny Mac” - as he was called, retired from the team. Eddie Doucette, Jon’s good friend and the Bucks’ colorful radio announcer, had a two-year old son Brett, who had recently been diagnosed with leukemia. Jon decided that in retirement, he would work to help kids like Brett Doucette and others fight and win their battle with childhood cancer. Jon became president of the MACC Fund and has been its face and heart and soul ever since. Eddie Doucette was its vice president. Living in California where his son Brett also resides since the late 1970s, Doucette remains active with the MACC Fund as its Honorary Vice President. Doucette recently received the prestigious Curt Gowdy Media Award from the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
By the end of the MACC Fund’s 37th year this December 31, it will have contributed over $48 million in Wisconsin for pediatric cancer and blood disorder research for diseases like aplastic anemia and sickle cell. This research has impacted the treatment of children throughout the state, the nation and the world. The overall cure rate for childhood cancer has risen from 20% to 80% during this time with the MACC Fund’s support playing an important role in that progress. Yet even those in the 80% category have “late effect” issues which require more research to give every child a fighting chance.
The MACC Fund supports translational research in the MACC Fund Center at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin and scientific research at the Medical College of Wisconsin in the MACC Fund Research Center and at the University of Wisconsin’s Carbone Cancer Center in the MACC Fund Childhood Cancer Research Wing. Please visit www.maccfund.org for more information.