July 10, 2023
Huntsman SportsFest reminded me of my first University of Utah football game (stay with me). I was 10 years old. My dad, a big University of Utah football fan, had invested in season tickets. There were only two tickets, so usually it was mom and dad, but this time my mom couldn’t go. I wasn’t sure what to expect. I didn’t know much about football. Would I like it? Would the four-hour game feel interminably long? Would I get too hot? Would my dad spring for a hot dog and a drink?
I fell in love. Not with football. I fell in love with the crowd. With all of the people. I watched as people filled the stadium in their University of Utah gear, face paint, and crazy outfits. I took it all in. I felt the energy build play after play. I heard the cheers and groans of the crowd. I was enthralled. It was a connection to thousands of people at once. It was exhilarating.
There’s something special that happens when people come together. There’s energy and strength in being united and having a common purpose.
Football is one thing. Cancer is entirely another. Full stop.
Cancer is a disease that touches everyone. It demands the power of people coming together. And that power fuels hope.
That’s what SportsFest is all about. The energy, connection, and passion of 1,300 people, including 75 of our youngest philanthropists in the Kids Fun K, enthusiastically coming together to raise money, donate, and actively participate as a collective in the cause of ending cancer. The energy was tangible, and the feelings were tender. One hundred percent of the $484,700 raised will go to cancer research.
There’s no limit to what can happen when hearts, minds, and the power of the collective come together for a common purpose. And there’s no greater purpose than a future without cancer.
With much gratitude,
Kim Wirthlin
President and COO
Huntsman Cancer Foundation
