MIKE CAMPBELL
MEMORIAL SCHOLARHIP FUND
SCHOLARSHIP PROJECT
Memorial Day weekend 2020, the phone rings- Coach Mike’s scans show cancerous cells.
Lung cancer- we all knew it right off the bat. We all expected it. We all warned and begged him to stop smoking and chewing tobacco. Coach Mike had been a tobacco user all his life.
Everyone had a picture of what this would look like: He would stop smoking, he would go to treatments, he would have doctors appointments,cancer would go into remission, numerous scans, tests, poking and prodding, rinse and repeat. Many people with lung cancer live for years once diagnosed. He’s only 57 years old. He’s young, and can overcome cancer.
In June 2020 at Sloan Kettering - the scans show small cell lung cancer. We all look at eachother and think the cancer is small- this has to be good news.
The doctor’s tone turns grim, and starts talking:
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It’s stage 4- terminal.
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It’s extremely aggressive.
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It is characterized by rapid, uncontrolled growth of certain cells in the lungs.
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People with small-cell lung cancer in the advanced stage cannot be cured.
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By the time people show symptoms it’s already very advanced, and too late.
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You can only get it from tobacco use.
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He has 20 tumors in his brain, some the size of golf balls.
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He will need a feeding tube- no food or drinks can go into his mouth.
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His voice will not come back.
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He has a few months to live, even with treatment.
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He needs to be admitted to the ICU immediately.
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He needs a ventilator because he isn’t getting enough oxygen.
We all look at each other. We thought we knew about lung cancer; we had thought about this moment before. How did none of us know about small cell lung cancer?
Structure of Scholarship:
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Scholarships available for each individual age group: (8U, 9U, 10U, 11U, 12U, 13U, 14U, & College)
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Scholarship available for an 8th grader graduating to high school.
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Scholarship available for a former player who is currently enrolled in college.
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Differentiated project & scoring rubric for each age group.
Prompts:
The following information includes the prompts for each project. Scroll further down the page for more information about each project.
8u & 9u: Character Trait Poster
10 11 & 12u : Short Story with Illustrations
13U & Up: Overcoming Adversity in Life & Baseball Essay
High School: Tobacco Informational Pamphlet
College: Research Social Media Campaign
Requirements to Apply:
Requirements to apply vary based on each age group:
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8U through High School players must be enrolled on a Staten Island Orioles Team.
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Graduating high school senior, or former Staten Island Orioles Player currently in college.
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Proof of acceptance or current enrollment in college.
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Does not have to be a college baseball player.
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Copy of high school or current transcript.
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Please submit all work and supporting documents to: info@siorioles.com
Mike Campbell
Memorial Scholarship Fund
The Mike Campbell Memorial Scholarship Fund is a 501c3 founded in 2021 after the passing of the Staten Island Orioles founder Mike Campbell. The Scholarship is meant to carry on the legacy of Mike, and aims to help offset the financial burden of higher education. The scholarship is for any graduating senior who is a Staten Island Orioles player, or for a former Staten Island Orioles player currently enrolled in college.
Although Mike loved baseball as a game, he viewed it more as a vehicle to achieve higher education, and as a way to prepare young men for life. He always stated that baseball mirrored life in the ups and downs that you experience in a game, or throughout your career, and that it is important to apply the lessons learned during your career to the everyday struggles one may face.
Mike fought for 8 months against small cell lung cancer until he lost his battle on December 18th, 2020. He was 57 years old, and is survived by his wife Andrea, their children Matthew and Lauren, and his children Stephen and Michael.
Going to college, and receiving an education was of the utmost importance to Mike. Coming from a family of educators, raising a family of educators, and being a teacher himself, it was obvious that Mike truly valued higher education. Because of this, we felt that creating a scholarship in his name, to award to a player from our program was the best thing that we can do to honor his legacy.
How Do We Fundraise
for the Scholarship?
We host various fun events throughout the year such as Superbowl events, March Madness events, among other enjoyable, interactive activities.
Individual donations are taken from people as well as businesses.
The Family Day Fundraiser is a huge event that usually takes place in June. Family Day includes a multitude of events to participate in. People donate baskets and various prizes that are raffled off, we do a 50/50 raffle, and we host an alumni baseball and softball game where we encourage all of our alumni to attend and participate! The Family Day usually also boasts several Food Trucks, and an after party at a local restaurant.
All Project Due Dates: February 29,2024
Projects by Age Group
8u & 9U project
10,11 & 12u project
13u AND up project
High School Project
College Project
FAMILY DAY
Our inaugural Family Day in 2021 was a huge success. We saw over 40 alumni come out and participate in our fundraiser/ alumni game. We also had well over 150 people come down and hang out with us at Verrazano Babe Ruth.
Because of the outpouring of support, we were able to award a former family from our program a $10,000 scholarship! We hope to repeat this effort this year!
FAMILY DAY PRICING
-$50 donation to play in the alumni game. Receive a custom sublimated jersey and ticket for admission with donation
-$10 admission (under 3 free)
-$20 Fundraiser T-Shirt
This year’s Family Day will be hosted on:
June 22nd 2024
Location: TBD
