August 15th, 2025 – Stories of giving back, breaking barriers, and World Series dreams
This week’s Feel Good Friday celebrates something special: young athletes who understand that sports can be a platform for something bigger than themselves. From an 8-year-old swimmer leading a national cancer research fundraiser to communities ensuring every athlete gets their moment to shine, these stories show how youth sports create leaders both on and off the field.
This Week’s Inspiring Headlines:
🏊♂️ 8-Year-Old Connecticut Swimmer Leads Nation in Cancer Research Fundraising
📣 Utah Community Doubles Goal for Cheerleader with Down Syndrome
🏐 Philadelphia Magnet School Exceeds Goal for Girls Volleyball Program
⚾ Six of Ten Little League World Series Teams Fundraise $120K+ for Parents
🏊♂️ Leading the Pack for a Cause
Eli Tamayo, an 8-year-old swimmer from Connecticut, leads all people participating in the American Cancer Society’s swimming challenge on GoFundMe. Coinciding with his pledge to swim 5 miles, Eli has raised more than $4,000 for cancer research. The next closest fundraiser hasn’t even crossed $2,000! Oh, and this isn’t a small sample size. Eli’s fundraiser is one of more than 3,500 participating in the challenge.
This is an incredible story, not only about how GoFundMe can help young athletes, but also how young athletes can use GoFundMe to help others! Eli isn’t just a casual swimmer. He just competed in the Fairfield County Summer Swim Championships in the backstroke, butterfly, freestyle, and 200m relay.
Eli trained every day for that competition, but took it a step further by giving his hard work a purpose beyond sports. His mom can not be prouder of what Eli has accomplished.
“As of today, he’s already logged 4.3 miles toward his 5-mile American Cancer Society fundraiser goal,” Emily Raderman wrote on GoFundMe. “It’s been a big week in (and out of) the pool, and your incredible support is fueling his motivation both for fundraising and for wrapping up his summer swim season strong.”
Nonprofits have turned to GoFundMe to host a wide variety of challenges, uniting people across the country around the causes they care about most, sparking friendly competition for all ages that inspires action, amplifying awareness, and driving meaningful donations at a national scale.
📣 Senior Year Dreams Come True
If you go to a football game at Lehi High School in Lehi, Utah you’ll see the cheerleaders getting the crowd pumped as they root for the Pioneers. Look closer and you’ll see Taylor Kerns, a girl not letting Down Syndrome stop her from cheering her hardest. Make no mistake though, Taylor isn’t in the stands, she is on the sidelines wearing her cheerleading uniform and waving her pompoms with all the other cheerleaders.
“Cheerleading has become such an important part of her journey,” Derek Kerns, Taylor’s dad, wrote on GoFundMe. “It’s not just about cheering on the team. It’s about belonging, confidence, growth, and joy.”
Taylor is entering her senior year of high school, which means this could be the end of her cheerleading career. Knowing how important this is to her, Taylor’s parents wanted to make sure they never had to say “no” this cheer season. So, Derek started a GoFundMe asking the community to support his daughter. In just a few days the fundraiser raised more than double Derek’s goal of $1,100.
That money will help Taylor be a full participant throughout her senior year. She will make everlasting memories that she can cherish forever thanks to the kindness of others.
🏐 When Academic Excellence Meets Athletic Dreams
Parkway Center City Middle College is a magnet school in Philadelphia that is all about education. The school has a partnership with a local community college that allows their students earn a college associate’s degree before they even get their high school diploma.
While these students are extremely academically inclined and motivated, they are still kids. Which means they need to have fun, too. That’s why some staff members at the school started a volleyball program. Here’s the catch: the program’s budget is $0.
So, those involved with the volleyball program need to fundraise for even the most basic equipment. They started a GoFundMe to buy a net, warm-ups, and snacks. In less than a week the fundraiser exceeded its $1,200 goal. Which means these girls will get to hit the court with everything they need to compete at their very best.
“Thank you to all of the amazing folks who helped us reach and exceed our goal!” Head Coach Alexander Buxbaum wrote on GoFundMe. “My team is so appreciative as we head into our season next week!”
⚾ World Series Success Brings World Series Costs
This weekend the Little League World Series will be in full swing, and a lot of the parents in the stands are there because of GoFundMe. While Little League International does cover travel and lodging for the players and coaches, parents, siblings, and everyone else are on their own dime. That’s why six of the ten American teams in the tournament are using GoFundMe.
The Great Lakes (IL), Mid-Atlantic (PA), Mountain (NV), New England (MA), Southwest (TX), and West (HI) regional champions have rallied their communities with their heroics on the field. That’s why these teams have combined to raise more than $120,000 so that loved ones can be in Williamsport to cheer on their little sluggers in-person.
You can catch the teams from Illinois, Pennsylvania, Nevada, Massachusetts, Texas, and Hawaii on ESPN as they duke it out over the next week for the title of Little League World Series
