By Matt Reider, Staff Writer
The sounds of friendly competition filled the South Lakes High School gymnasium on Oct. 27, as community members gathered to raise funds for osteosarcoma research, a common type of bone cancer that primarily affects children, teens, and young adults. Coaches, players, friends, and families from Reston Hoops and Reston Volleyball united for the “Swish and Serve” fundraiser, supporting MIB Agents, a leading pediatric osteosarcoma nonprofit. Despite medical advances, the standard treatment for this disease has remained unchanged for more than 40 years.
Among those present was Buddy, a 10-year-old Reston resident diagnosed with osteosarcoma at age 5. His journey has been challenging; he has undergone more than a dozen surgeries and an amputation below the knee.
Last year, Buddy’s mother Kat coached the Reston Volleyball program, balancing her son’s needs with her team’s. Reston Volleyball stepped in to support her, with Elaine Turner, the program’s administrator and an event organizer, pointing out that Khuong Mulvaney—a former George Mason University player and a Reston Volleyball founder—played a central role in initiating the fundraiser. "Khuong just told Kat to spend time with her son and began brainstorming ways the community could help," Turner said. Although planning began in early September, the event took place in October, slightly beyond Cancer Awareness Month.
The fundraiser operated entirely on voluntary donations, with no cost for participants. Athletes had three minutes to sink as many free throws or serve as many volleyballs as possible. Coordination and accuracy were essential, and in the volleyball rounds, emphasis was placed on quality over quantity. The leaderboard was composed of servers assisted by multiple ball retrievers, ensuring continuous play without delays.
Support from Reston Sports was robust, with volunteers managing registrations, promoting the event, and participating. Many volunteers came from the Yuniverse Foundation—founded by three South Lakes students in 2018—and were easily spotted in their bright yellow shirts as they helped set up and run the activities. Khuong expressed appreciation for the volunteers, noting, “They’re here to support us, and we’re committed to supporting our Reston Volleyball volunteers just as strongly.”
After the event, Kat announced that the fundraiser had raised more than $6,000 for osteosarcoma research. Contributions are still being accepted on Buddy’s fundraising page through MIB Agents; visit mibagents.org/family-funds/buddy.
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