(WesternMassNews- 3/31/25) – Over the weekend, the Magic for Maddie 3v3 basketball fundraiser had players shooting not just for a basket, but for a cure.
The annual event honoring the memory of Maddie Schmidt, a Southampton eight-year-old who battled a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer known as Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Gliomaand and although that disease may have won the battle back in 2022, Maddie’s fight did not end at the sound of a buzzer.
Magic for Maddie committee director Joe Westcott shared how impactful the disease can be on the whole family by saying: “Illnesses like this can often turn a household upside down. Parents have to step away from work, there are expenses associated with medical bills and stuff like that.”
Joe Westcott explains that while on a local level they’re helping families in similar circumstances, their work extends to a much larger scale. “They’re also trying to support advocacy and try and make sure that people have an increased awareness to support the cause to try to find a cure.”
Magic for Maddie has raised more than $750,000 in just three years, selling out venues, and drawing attention from state officials like Senator John Velis, who was a runner-up in the Saturday portion of the tournament. With this year’s 153 teams ranging from first graders to adults, Maddie’s cousin Audrey Capshaw emphasized how exciting the charity’s growth has been.
“The first one was in two different schools, two different days, then last year’s was in one day and today’s is two days and there were just so many people… seeing all the kids here shows how amazing and how much of an impact her and her journey left”
To learn more about Magic for Maddie and the work that they do, you can click here.