(Riverton, WY) – You always want to know the score; on Friday Riverton swept the Star Valley braves, with the Lady Wolverines pitching a 6-0 shutout and the boys grinding out a 2-1 defensive victory. But the scores didn’t matter that much this time. The games were played for a greater cause.
Friday was the annual Riverton Soccer Pink Game, a game dedicated to fundraising for a worthy cause in the community.
“Honestly, it’s been a staple of our soccer programs. Gratitude is a skill that kids have to learn and understand, there is no more generous community than Riverton, Wyoming in my opinion,” Riverton head girls soccer coach Aziz Waheed said. “This is where I grew up, this is my home. Now having young kids, I see such a value in having the older kids come down and reach out to them.”
“When we ask for assistance, we’ve never been turned down in this community. You have to slow down and see how blessed and lucky we are to be able to play this game. There are a lot of members of our community that are going through unfortunate events that are out of their control; the least we can do is help them through and let them know that going through this alone. We’re part of this community.”
This time, the cause was two Riverton students who were stricken by cancer, nine-year-old Maddison Belle Friday, and 14-year-old Garret Rogers. Excerpts from The Riverton Soccer Pink Game Facebook page describe the ordeal the two young students have undergone.
Madison’s Story
“On June 8, 2015, Madison Belle, the bright-eyed, blonde-haired baby, entered the world and filled the lives of her parents, Hayley and CJ Williams, with joy. Since then, Madison has been a vibrant, spirited girl full of sass. She’s both a little sister and a big sister, taking her roles to heart. But on November 8, 2024, Madison’s life took an unexpected turn. At just 9 years old, she was airlifted to Primary Children’s Hospital, where her family received the heartbreaking news that Madison had been diagnosed with High-Grade Glioma, a form of brain cancer.
Fast forward to her most recent appointment, where the family received news no parent should ever hear. “The cancer has spread, and there are new areas of growth throughout her spine. This complicates everything. Because of its location and size, surgery and further radiation are no longer options. Madison will be taken off the clinical trial and begin a new chemotherapy regimen next week. The devastating truth is that, unless some miraculous breakthrough occurs, this treatment will only prolong the inevitable. As far as ‘time’ goes, it depends on how the tumor responds to the new medication. The words that still echo in our hearts are ‘3 months to maybe a year.’ Our focus now is to make Madison as strong as possible so that she can be at home, where she wants to be, and where we want her to be. We will treasure every single moment, every laugh, every memory, knowing that time is no longer on our side.”
Garret’s Story
“Garret was born on March 10, 2011, in Riverton as the only child of Sheri and Randy Rogers. He’s a caring, funny, and goofy kid who loves to make others laugh. He enjoys riding his dirt bike, working on cars, spending time with family, playing video games, and caring for his three dogs. Garret has always loved animals and enjoys spending time with them. However, in July 2023, after months of struggling with severe headaches, Garret had a stroke. His parents rushed him to the ER, where they learned he’d had a migranous stroke. The ER doctor recommended a follow-up with his pediatrician, who referred him to a neurologist in Salt Lake.
In March 2024, after months of tests and waiting, Garret underwent an MRI, and just six hours later, his family received the devastating news that every parent dreads: Garret had a brain tumor. After numerous trips to Salt Lake City and consultations with multiple specialists, Garret was diagnosed with epilepsy, migranous strokes, and anxiety disorder. A biopsy revealed that the tumor was of a common type, but with a rare mutation found in just 1% of cases. Although surgery to remove the tumor is an option, it would result in significant vision loss and memory impairment, leaving Garret legally blind in both eyes. After much family discussion, they chose to begin chemotherapy to stop the tumor’s growth, with the hope that it will shrink enough to be safely removed in the future.
Garret began oral chemotherapy in November 2024 and will continue the treatment for the next two years. He also takes daily seizure medication and other medications to manage side effects and maintain a tolerable level of pain. Garret’s medical journey involves regular blood work, CT scans, and appointments with his oncologist, pediatrician, epileptic neurologist, and neurosurgeon every four weeks, as well as MRIs every three months. This condition will remain with him for the rest of his life or until the tumor can be safely removed, with no guarantee that his seizures or migraines will cease.”
A Go Fund Me Page has been established with the goal of $10,000. As of publication, $4,250 has been generated.
“It will be over $10,000, I’ll leave the go fund me page for a while,” Kristen Paskett said. “We raised $13,000 last year.”
Ayana Mejorado is congratulated by teammates and Star Valley players
The game had incentives as well, with fixed amounts paid if a player scored, or Riverton shut out Star Valley. The biggest incentive came if Lady Wolverine goalkeeper Ayana Mejorado scored a goal.
A goalie scoring is extremely rare in soccer but on corner kicks, the coaches had Mejorado running 100 yards from her defensive position to set up in front of the Star Valley goal. Riverton had five tries to get her to score. On the fifth attempt, Mejorado broke between a pair of Lady Brave defenders and scored.
She was mobbed by teammates, but congratulated by several Star Valley players as well, girls who knew what was on the line. Mejorado’s goal generated $850.
“We love our community, We like to take the time to give back to them,” Mejorado said in a pre-game interview. “So, we always ask that we give back and the pink game is how we give back to our community.
These fundraising efforts don’t happen in a vacuum, it takes a lot of work to get them organized.
“Kristen Paskett does a ton for that thankfully,” Waheed said.
Soccer action vs. Star Valley – h/t Randy Tucker
