Warren Playoff: Gold Out Raises Funds for Cancer Families

Mike Papouras has organized a childhood cancer fundraiser for Friday night's football game between University School and Howland in Warren. The event, titled "Some Things are Bigger than Football," aims to raise money for families currently battling the disease. Papouras is a junior cornerback at University School who is working with the CK Foundation to support these families.

The team will participate in a "Gold Out" during the matchup. Players will wear gold laces and decals on their uniforms. Gold is the official color for childhood cancer awareness. This visual display serves as the central component of the fundraiser for the contest.

The initiative stems from a game in Mentor on October 20, 2023. That night, Mentor High Cardinals honored Jack Sawyer, who was 17 at the time. Sawyer was fighting Ewing sarcoma, an aggressive form of bone cancer. The stadium announcer introduced him to the crowd as an honorary captain. Players from Euclid, who wore yellow, presented him with a shirt bearing the phrase "Some Things are Bigger than Football."

Papouras was 13 years old when he witnessed the 2023 tribute. His father served as the superintendent of Euclid City Schools at that time. The experience stayed with the young player. He stated that he realized there are children dealing with harder challenges than his own. He expressed a desire to make the process a little easier for them. Sawyer passed away shortly after that game.

This fall, Papouras contacted Dawn Sawyer, Jack's mother, to seek her permission for the new fundraiser. He wrote that he never met Jack but thought about a young man who loved football and lifted others up. He wanted other kids to hear that story. Dawn described the gesture as amazing and said she is proud. She plans to join Papouras on the field for the game in Warren.

Jack's motto, PACE, which stands for Positive Attitude Changes Everything, was read by the announcer in 2023. Papouras hopes the community will carry that message forward. Support is also coming from Mentor High, where the Cardinals will wear yellow socks Friday night. A player told Dawn that the seniors wanted a way to remember Jack. Justin Hodge, a former Mentor student now at Miami University, is credited with helping keep the legacy alive.