At age five Dade Cannon began a long and difficult battle with leukemia that would involve five years of visits to doctors’ offices, bouts with chemo therapy, a brief remission, a relapse and months of uncertainty.

But a silver lining appeared for the now 11-year old as Dade and mother Christy Huslig were notified recently that Dade is to be one of two beneficiaries at the seventh annual Rock Chalk Roundball Classic.

“We are honored and excited that Dade was nominated and chosen for this event,” said Christy who added that her son was nominated by a friend he met during chemo treatments in Kansas City.

Dade was diagnosed with the disease in 2009 and, following a brief remission, relapsed in February 2014.

“We went through a three and a half year span of chemo in Kansas City,” Christy said. “Dade just finished up his first year of inpatient intensification and is now in the maintenance mode of treatment which is outpatient.”  

According to cancer.org, intensification or consolidation is the stage in treatment designed to reduce the number of leukemia cells still in the body. Several chemo drugs are combined to help prevent the remaining leukemia cells from developing resistance. It is considered one of the most intense forms of chemo and typically lasts from one to two months.

Christy said the latter stages of Dade’s treatment have been easier to manage in large part because of the convenience of remaining in Great Bend. “The nursing staff at KU has been great to work with,” she said. “They came to town to offer training to the local staff on pediatric chemotherapy so we were able to do most of the outpatient treatment here in Great Bend.”

Levi Ross of Prarie View High School in La Cygne, Kansas, is the other beneficiary at this year’s RCRC event. According to the RCRC Facebook page, Ross, who turned 18 in February, recently underwent a nine hour operation to remove a super aggressive tumor around his spinal column. Ross is a 6-5 power forward and soccer standout at PVHS. “Levi’s friends and family and even complete strangers, who we will probably never meet, are life-lines for him and for us,” said sister Kelly Potter on the RCRC Facebook page. “We are many in number and mighty in spirit. From the very first appointment, Team Levi’s motto has been ‘We. Got. This.’ So, we pray and put feet to our steadfast faith, knowing that with God, all things are possible”

The June 18 event is a fund raiser to assist families with medical costs and has raised more than $120,000 over its first six years according to director Brian Hanni.

“We have more than 30 former Jayhawks teaming up to raise money for these two kids fighting cancer,” said Hanni. “We’ll have players from all Jayhawk generations playing and coaching including guys who have played in the NBA.”

Some of the players and coaches participating in this year’s RCRC include KU football coach David Beaty. Beaty is best known as a star wide receiver at Lindenwood and first known as a standout soccer and football player at Garland High School. Cole Aldrich  returns for his fourth Roundball Classic. Aldrich is a five-year NBA veteran from the New York Knicks, a National Champion, All-American and owner of the first officially recorded triple-double in KU history. Rex Walters will compete in his first Classic. Walters is the current coach of the San Francisco Dons and a seven-year NBA veteran and the sharp-shooter who helped lead KU to the 1993 Final Four.

Other former KU players include Jeff Gueldner who will be making his coaching debut in the Classic this year. Gueldner, who recently pulled through a five-year battle with cancer, was a member of the 1988 Jayhawk National Championship team. Two-time KU All-American “Big Dub” Wayne Simien returns for his sixth Roundball Classic. Simien is a two-time Final Four participant and NBA World Champion with the Miami Heat. Ten-year NBA veteran Greg Dreiling is back for his second Roundball Classic. The former 1986 Final Four participant is now an advance scout for the Dallas Mavericks.

“One of the best parts of this event is that the players and coaches stick around after the game to sign autographs and just mingle with the fans,” said Hanni. “It’s just a blast to see guys who played on campus back in the 80s mixing it up with younger folks on the court and all for a great cause.”

The annual Classic will be held at Free State High School in Lawrence at 7 p.m. on Thursday June 18. Advance tickets are now on sale at the 23rd St. Brewery and Legends in Lawrence and AAA in Topeka.

Walk up tickets are available at the door on game night. For more information go the RCRC Facebook page at facebook.com/rockchalkroundballclassic.