Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox was 3 years old when his mother, Lorraine, was diagnosed with breast cancer.
As he got older, he learned more about the fear she faced and the battle she waged to beat the disease that claimed her sister’s life about a year before Fox was born.
“I didn’t see her fight because I was so young, but she’s always been around support groups and people I grew up with who had breast cancer, so I’ve seen that,” Fox said.
Fox has joined his mother’s fight through the Fox Whole Family Foundation, which serves women whose lives have been affected by breast cancer. The organization held a fundraiser Sunday at Strikes Unlimited in Rocklin to raise money for the Sacramento-based Albie Aware Breast Cancer Foundation, which was created in memory of Albie Carson, a Sacramento woman who succumbed to breast cancer in 2002.
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Doug Carson founded the nonprofit organization in his wife’s honor to help other families avoid the heartache of losing a loved one to breast cancer. All proceeds from the inaugural Fox Whole Family Foundation Bowling Classic will benefit Albie Aware, which provides assistance for diagnostic testing, patient advocacy, prevention education and support for women battling breast cancer.
“I founded Albie Aware to prevent other men and children from suffering the loss of their wife and mother from breast cancer,” Carson said on the organization’s website, albieaware.org.
Lorraine Fox, an 18-year breast cancer survivor, said these services are essential for breast cancer patients, many of whom are underinsured and don’t know this kind of financial assistance is available.
“I want people to know that support is out there,” she said. “If they don’t know somebody is out there raising money to help them, they’ll never get it.”
Kings assistant coach Jason March and players such as Marvin Bagley III, Buddy Hield and Justin Jackson came out to Strikes to show their support.
“(Fox) is my teammate,” Bagley said. “Whatever he’s doing, I’m supporting it.”
Participants paid $40 per bowler or $225 per lane for up to six bowlers. Each participant received two hours of bowling, a shirt, a goody bag, pizza, soda and a group photo with Fox. There was also a silent auction featuring Kings memorabilia, including autographed jerseys, photos and basketballs.
Organizers said the event was sold out.
“It’s packed,” March said. “It looks like people are having a great time and it’s great to see the community get behind our guys, especially with the different things they go through with their families. It’s cool to see.”
Jason Anderson: 916-321-1363, @healthstationblog.comJandersonSacBee