April 17, 2023 By Carol Britton Meyer
The third annual Jack’s Drive 55 Hockey 3v3 Charity Tournament and Family Fun Day will benefit a worthy cause — raising money for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation research while honoring Adelia, a South School first-grader recently diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer.
This event is held annually to raise awareness and funding for the medical treatment of pediatric brain tumors, the leading cause of cancer death in children.
The charity was started as a show of support for Jack Giorgio, who played Hingham Youth Hockey until he was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2019 at age 11. It was at week 55 that Jack’s tumor began responding positively to treatments and coincidentally, Jack’s hockey jersey number was 55, which led to the tournament’s name, JD55.
In an extraordinary coincidence, 7-year-old Adelia’s mother, Meryl Summers, was Jack’s occupational therapist when he was diagnosed, during his earlier years of treatment. Just after her daughter was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer, Summers reached out to Jack’s mother, Sue Giorgio, for someone to talk with and provide support for what Adelia’s family is now going through.
“I feel as though we have a special connection,” Summers told the Hingham Anchor. “It’s amazing to see how well Jack is doing after going through some difficult times, which gives me a lot of hope for Adelia. Jack’s family has been so supportive, generous, and helpful since we reconnected.”
Jack and Adelia recently got together to share their experience and for Jack to lend encouragement to his new friend. “Adelia has such a good sense of humor,” Sue Giorgio said. “She’s a smart and charismatic little girl.”
Adelia loves art, playing soccer, dancing, taking Suzuki lessons, being a Girl Scout, and everything about life. She is also known for her boundless energy, bright smile, and way of entertaining those around her with her creative spirit and amusing one-liners.
After undergoing emergency surgery at Children’s Hospital, the Hingham community is also rallying around Adelia, her mother, her stepfather, Mike McClellan, and her baby sister, Esme.
“We’re so grateful for the support of Jack, his family, and the entire community in rooting her on,” Summers said.
Jack’s parents, Sue and Tony Giorgio appreciated the kindness Summers showed to Jack when he was going through his treatments.
Youth hockey teams, girls and boys ages 7 to 14 — from Mite to Bantams — hailing from Hingham and the surrounding area will gather in support and participate in the upcoming 3v3 hockey tournament — planned for Saturday, April 29, at Pilgrim Arena, from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. The tournament will feature games throughout the day, with many added attractions outdoors to make this a fun-filled community-wide event. For hockey registration go to https://register.jacksdrive55.org.
The lineup of events will feature hockey, a car show, DJ music, a silent auction, JD55 apparel, raffles, food trucks (featuring delicious barbecue and grilled cheese menu items), games, a bouncy house for kids, and more. Boston Bruins Mascot Blades will make an appearance to add to the fun as well.
Adelia will soon complete radiation treatment, and then she will be traveling outside of her hometown with her family to participate in clinical trials and therapies that are not covered by insurance.
“[Only] four percent of all government funding for cancer is allocated to pediatrics, and within that funding, less than one percent is allocated to pediatric brain cancer,” according to Summers. “The standard of care is only six weeks of radiation. It’s like the Wild West out there. Although Adelia has the best doctors, it’s been necessary for me to reach out to different teams across the country to find clinical trials in which Adelia can participate. There needs to be more attention to this.”
Jack’s Drive 55 Foundation helps change the lives of children affected by brain tumors by fundraising for the development of effective treatments — and specifically, medicines that stop and cure the growth, and rebounding of deadly tumors in children.
To donate a silent auction or raffle item, call Debbie at (781) 727-0556 or email dridge@jacksdrive55.org. Suggestions range from gift cards from restaurants and shops to themed gift baskets or gift basket items. All donations are welcome.
Signed Bruins jerseys and a signed Patriots football are among the many silent auction/raffle items.
For more information, to register, make a donation, or purchase JD55 merchandise, go to https://jacksdrive55.org/.
JD55 has raised more than $175,000 for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation research thus far and is expecting a large show of support on April 29.
The Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, the largest patient advocacy funding source of pediatric brain tumor research, is investing nearly $400,000 in two new basic science research projects led by Dr. Mimi Bandopadhayay at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute (www.bandolab.org). These projects focus on understanding how interactions at the cellular level between a child’s developing brain and their brain tumor affect the tumor’s growth, as well as how and why certain inhibitor treatments change these interactions.
Funding for both grants was made possible in part by Jack’s Drive 55. “When Jack was in treatment and we were yearning for a success story, PBTF gave us hope. Now that Jack’s tumor is stable, we want to do whatever we can for other families,” declared Tony Giorgio.