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KENNESAW, Georgia – Kennesaw State will host its annual Griffin’s Game on Tuesday, September 10, where the Owls will welcome their rival Mercer State to the Convocation Center.
Now in its ninth year, Griffin’s Game is named after head coach Keith Schunzel and his wife Briana’s son, Griffin, who was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Each preseason, the KSU volleyball team selects a family to honor and support to help with expenses related to the fight against pediatric cancer. Over the past eight years, a total of over $115,000 has been raised for the previous families.
This year’s Griffin’s Game honors King Senat, a six-year-old boy from Powder Springs, Georgia.
In February of this year, King was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer called neuroblastoma. Shortly after his sixth birthday on January 11, King began losing his appetite, developing fevers, and eventually becoming so weak that he could not walk. He was admitted to CHOA Eggleston, where he spent the next few months in the hospital receiving aggressive treatment to shrink a tumor larger than a grapefruit that had formed in his kidney. In addition, the cancer had spread to 100% of King’s bone marrow, making his diagnosis an extremely life-threatening condition.
On May 13, the tumor was surgically removed and King has continued to show great fighting spirit and bravery during this difficult time. His treatment cycles include five-day stays at CHOA for intensive chemotherapy with horrific side effects such as persistent fatigue, nausea, diarrhea, rashes, hair loss and fever. The cancer cells in his bone marrow have improved to 25% infiltration, but he still has a long way to go.
His next scan will determine if he is ready for a stem cell transplant, which requires a minimum of 30 days in hospital. King and his mother Jennifer need all of our support as they navigate this difficult journey together. They lost King’s father to stomach cancer and also King’s twin brother. Let’s embrace them as they fight for his life every day.
King loves his puppy, whom he named Penny Parker, inspired by his great love for Spider-Man. King also enjoys helping others and snuggling and showing affection with hugs and kisses. He also loves game and movie nights with his family. King is a fun prankster and loves to make others laugh.
Now it’s up to us to work together to lift King up and put a smile on his face. The Schunzels received overwhelming support when Griffin was diagnosed in March 2015, and they want to join with the KSU volleyball program and athletic department to provide the same support to a local family facing a similar struggle.
Help us support King and his family by marking your calendar for this year’s Griffin’s Game. Tickets to the competition are $10, with all proceeds benefiting King’s family. You can purchase them HEREFans also have the opportunity to donate to the fundraiser and donate and/or purchase an official game t-shirt on the KSU fundraising page. HERE.
