BALTIMORE, MD — The Craig Willinger Fund proudly announces the selection of 17-year-old Hannah Smith of Murrysville, Pennsylvania as its ninth honoree. Hannah and her mother will travel to Natal, Brazil to see the US Men’s National Team face Ghana in the first round of play on June 16.
In the early days of her diagnosis of Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Hannah held on to soccer as her connection to living the life she loves. She said she played one of the best games of her life during the preliminary stages of her diagnosis and credits her doctors for giving her that flexibility. Hannah currently plays on three teams and has made a verbal commitment to play at Division 1 St. Francis University.
“We’ve come full circle since our founding in 2009,” said CWFund Vice-chair Darren Rudham. “CWFund was born with the idea to send a cancer survivor to FIFA World Cup in 2010. We are extremely proud to carry on Craig’s legacy by heading back to FIFA World Cup with our ninth honoree.”
The Craig Willinger Fund seeks to improve the lives of children and young adults stricken with cancer by providing once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to experience world-class soccer – both domestically and abroad. Honorees have traveled to South Africa, Barcelona, Milan, Madrid, London, New York City and Manchester. CWFund is actively seeking applications for future travel, as well as volunteer and community support. Visit www.cwfund.org for more information.
Follow Hannah’s trip at www.facebook.com/cwfund and on Twitter @theCWFund #CWFHannah.