Congratulations to all the high schools, colleges, and the Vikings on reaching a new milestone for Tackle Cancer!  This past fall, $568,479 was raised for the Randy Shaver Cancer Research and Community Fund!  Over the past 12 years, 3.5 million dollars has been raised by football programs in Minnesota!  

The MFCA is grateful for the 176 high schools, 15 colleges, the Minnesota Gophers, and the Minnesota Vikings who joined the fight against cancer this past fall.

 Monies raised for the Shaver Foundation goes towards cancer research and patient aid that benefits all Minnesotans!  

The Tackle Cancer goal for 2024 is $600,000. We hope every head football coach will consider joining the fight against cancer!

Coaches - Sponsoring a Tackle Cancer game is EASY! Here are some ideas.

1. Select a home game.
2. Promote your TC game in your school and community.
3. Collect donations at the gate before the game.
4. Two-minute challenge - during halftime pass buckets down each row of your home and away stands. Put two minutes on the scoreboard clock and have the announcer give directions and provide "play by play."
5. Sell Tackle Cancer wristbands and t-shirts during lunch at school.
6. Involve your youth football teams - parents donate $ for each touchdown scored in youth games the week of your Tackle Cancer game.

 The MFCA will contact you this spring with more details!

The MFCA would like to thank the Minnesota Vikings, the Minnesota Gophers, and the programs in the MIAC, NSIC and UMAC as well as all the high schools in Minnesota who participate for their support of Tackle Cancer

See the link below that shows the 2023 Grant Funds distribution from the Randy Shaver  Cancer Research & Community Fund.

Mission Statement of the Randy Shaver Cancer Research and Community Fund 
The mission of the Randy Shaver Cancer Research and Community Fund is to support the cancer community in Minnesota by funding research, prevention, treatment, and other programs relating to the cancer community’s needs.  

Below are Tackle Cancer ideas from Beau Labore, Head Coach at Stillwater:

· Tackle Cancer Game – Our Tackle Cancer game was scheduled in conjunction with our youth night this year, early in the season. It is a Tackle Cancer Kick Off Event as we have many other events throughout the football season that support TC. We plan to bring in Kona Ice (who donates a % of sales to TC), set up games for the kids (pay to play) and have freshman/sophomore players at collection stations at the beginning of the game.

· Community Events – We host events at local restaurants or craft studios where a percentage of sales is donated to Stillwater Tackle Cancer.

· Grocery Bagging/Carry Out – Our high school football players bag and/or carry out groceries at local grocery stores for donations.

· Youth Football Weekend Concessions Sales – We coordinate the concession stand for our youth football weekend event at Pony Stadium and all revenue generated goes towards Stillwater TC. We use parents, dance team, or other high school students to volunteer.

· Bingo – We host a purse/yeti bingo event at our local legion. There is also a 50/50 drawing at this event.

· Wristbands for Donations – Stillwater Tackle Cancer wristbands are distributed to all high school and youth football players the week before homecoming. Each player is given 4-5 wristbands and asked to solicit donations (any amount) in exchange for the wristbands during homecoming week. There is a competition between the youth tackle teams, between the youth flag teams and various competitions at the high school levels. Winners receive ice cream donated by a local business.

· High School Student/Staff Donations – The high school conducts a challenge during homecoming week for each 5th hour classroom to collect the most donations. Prizes (donated by local businesses – pizza, sandwiches, donuts, ice cream) are given to the top 4 classrooms.

· Powder Puff Game – Donations are collected as an entrance “fee” for our homecoming week Powder Puff game.

· Promotion – We prepare a flyer at the beginning of the season with all events and send it to the local paper, schools, social media, local TV, and all football families. Throughout the season, we do a significant amount of promotion for each event on social media.

· Appreciation – An appreciation page is created in our program for all local businesses that donated to the Tackle Cancer cause for the final home game. A copy of the program along with a personal letter from the head coach and TC Chair is delivered to the business.

· Reveal – We have revealed our TC donation total at the last home game or first playoff game with the help of our dance team.

Fillmore Central Tackle Cancer - I have a few ladies that really run everything for me.

Leading up to the game, we always do a clothing order and add a little for a fundraiser - this usually brings in over $1,000

We also do a fundraising campaign at the game and have buckets for donations and during the game give statistics and different information on how cancer affects all of us.

We also do a carnival with games and prizes right at the field and a tailgating event with funds raised going to Tackle cancer

We have done silent auction items that people can bid on