MEET AUSTEN
Founder Austen Everett was a nationally ranked goalkeeper for the Univ. of Miami while fighting her own battle with cancer.
Her dream to empower all kids with cancer, giving them a chance to stand-in with athletes, on the field for a variety of sporting participations is now her legacy.
AEF upholds her vision that goal-oriented sports have an undeniable power to provide strength, support, inspiration, and hope to kids in the fight for their lives.
"There is no struggle too great, no hardship to be avoided, no effort to be wasted, when one works to win the fight against cancer."
- Austen Everett
UNITE2FIGHT athletes empowering kids battling cancer through the strength and support of professional and collegiate athletic teams
EMPOWERING THE FIGHT
Nominate a Captain now
Everyday over 822 kids are diagnosed with cancer worldwide. In the United States, each year over 15,780 kids between the ages of 0 and 19 will be diagnosed with cancer.
Through our AEF Honorary Team Captain Program, we seek to support and uplift children with cancer by arranging for them to serve for a day as “Honorary Team Captains” of their favorite local professional or collegiate sports teams. AEF works with each team and each patient’s family to provide each child with a customized experience that includes their receiving a personalized jersey, joining the team on the field or court for warm-ups, calling the coin toss, and being featured on the Jumbotron, while their family receives “VIP” treatment.
Recent studies by Nationwide Children’s Hospital, show that children who were involved in programs such as the Honorary Team Captain Program are 2.5 times more likely to have fewer unplanned hospital admissions, and 1.9 times more likely to have fewer unplanned emergency visits compared to patients of similar age, gender, disease category, and disease complexity.