‘More than just football’: Two Nebraska teams fight cancer together ahead of game day

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – Two local football teams are putting aside the rivalry and joining forces for a good cause.

Norris and Standing Bear will face off Thursday in a battle on the field.

But all week leading up to the game, the players, coaches and parents are focusing on a battle that carries a deeper meaning.

“I’ve always had a passion for it,” said Kiffin Hausmann, a senior football player at Norris. “Especially after it affected my grandma. She had breast cancer. And it also affected my mother. She passed away from it, so it just means a lot to me.”

October is breast cancer awareness month, and both teams are working together to raise $5,000 for the April Sampson Cancer Center in Lincoln.

“It’s really a cool deal when things like this happen because it shows that it’s more than just football,” said Evan Greenfield.

Greenfield plays for Norris, and his grandmother is a breast cancer survivor.

“Football is just a game, but cancer is for real, and it’s serious,” he said.

Hausmann’s mother passed away when he was only nine years old.

He said his own experience makes him want to help others who are dealing with something similar.

“Some people might not understand what it means to have that support, so that’s why I think it’s really touching,” Hausmann said.

And it’s not just the Norris team that has personal ties.

Kelsey Schiltz is the wife of Standing Bear’s head football coach, and she is a breast cancer survivor.

“It really does mean a lot,” Schiltz said. “Cancer, yes, has touched so many people, but when it’s you, it feels very isolating.”

She said it’s a full-circle moment to be able to give back in this way.

Jen Reinboth has done a lot of the organizing for the fundraiser, including making t-shirts.

She has a unique perspective on this game.

One of her sons is playing for Norris and the other for Standing Bear.

She said it’s incredible to see how the two communities are coming together for this effort.

“At the end of the night, there’s going to be a winner and a loser, and that might be hard at my house to accept,” Reinboth said. “But the difference that we make it what’s most important.”

If you’d like to donate to the cause, visit the Standing Bear Booster Club’s website.