Marian Cancer Care employees Kelly Tomita, Jenni Davis and Natalie Williams pose with Nipomo High School basketball player Shantille Simonson to commemorate the varsity girls team’s recent gift.

Hoops for Hope: Delivering a Victory On and Off the Court

Cancer is not an isolated incident: it impacts an entire community. The high school student athletes at Nipomo High School certainly felt this way and chose to act.

In this previous 2018 basketball season, the junior varsity and varsity Lady Titans of Nipomo took on Santa Maria High School for two important interleague games. Besides the local rivalry, these games were crucial for another reason. Through the efforts of the players, coaches, and attendees, $1,100 was raised for the cancer patients served at Mission Hope Cancer Center during the fourth annual Hoops for Hope earlier this year.

Leading both on and off the court, sophomore Shantille Simonson was instrumental in helping raise these funds for local cancer patients and their families. As a childhood survivor of cancer herself, Shantille holds this event close to her heart. When she was a toddler, Shantille was diagnosed with Wilms tumor—a form of cancer that affects the kidneys. A strong survivor, Shantille now speaks to children at Nipomo Elementary School about her cancer journey and advocates for cancer care since it can impact any age.

Like most in our community, both the home and visiting teams have seen the effects of cancer. The hope of the sophomore basketball center is to continue this athletic event to both honor and remember those who have been affected by cancer. Thanks to a thrilling overtime victory, the varsity Lady Titans delivered a win both on the court and for cancer patients in need.

If you are interested in hosting an event to benefit the programs and services found at Marian Regional Medical Center, call 805.739.3595 or visit our Third Party Events page by clicking here.