By: Mark Wasik
KENNESAW, Ga. – Kennesaw State will hold its annual Griffin's Game on Friday, Sept. 4, when the Owls take on West Georgia in their home opener in VyStar Arena.
Griffin's Game, now in its 11th year, was created in honor of head coach Keith Schunzel and his wife Briana's son, Griffin, who was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in 2015. Griffin is now in remission and doing well, and his journey inspired the Schunzel family and the KSU volleyball program to create an annual tradition of supporting families facing childhood cancer. Each season, the KSU volleyball team selects a family to honor and support, helping ease the financial burden that often accompanies a cancer diagnosis. Over the past ten years, Griffin's Game has raised more than $130,000 for families in their fight against childhood cancer.
This year, Griffin's Game will honor Aliz Torres, a 13-year old girl from Woodstock, Ga.
An eighth-grader with a contagious smile, deep faith, and a love for volleyball, Aliz has spent the past several years doing what she loves most—competing with her teammates on the Junior Knights River Ridge volleyball team. She also loves music, playing electric guitar, and listening to artists like Tyler, the Creator, Malcolm Todd, The Marías, Frank Sinatra, Leslie Gore, and Deftones. To everyone who knows her, Aliz is compassionate, resilient, and wise beyond her years.
No one could have imagined her battle with leukemia had already begun.
During a Valentine's Day weekend volleyball tournament, Aliz took a hard fall on the court. The bruise that followed became unusually dark and continued to worsen. Soon she was constantly tired. Her gums began bleeding, which her family initially thought was related to her wisdom teeth coming in. Then she lost her appetite, began losing weight, and developed painful sores in her mouth, including one that turned alarmingly dark.
Concerned, her family took her to the doctor for blood work. Two days later, everything changed when they received the call no family ever wants.
Doctors instructed them to go immediately to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. Aliz's blood counts were dangerously low, and she needed an emergency blood transfusion. Later that day, she was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), a high-risk form of leukemia.
Life instantly shifted from school, volleyball practices, and family routines to hospital rooms, chemotherapy, and countless unknowns. Her first round of chemotherapy brought high fevers, exhaustion, and unimaginable physical challenges. Yet through it all, she continued to smile. Even on her hardest days, her family says her unwavering faith and positive spirit inspired everyone around her.
In July, Aliz underwent a bone marrow transplant after her three-year-old brother was found to be a perfect donor match. Despite his young age, he bravely underwent the procedures needed to help save his sister's life. For their family of six, this journey has touched every member in profound ways.
The weeks leading up to the transplant were especially difficult. Because of the high risk of infection, Aliz had to remain in strict isolation, separated from much of the outside world. Recently, the family was able to move into the Ronald McDonald House, providing a much-needed sense of comfort and stability during this stage of treatment.
Both of Aliz's parents stepped away from work during the critical month surrounding her transplant so they could be by her side every step of the way.
We're asking the Kennesaw State community to do what it does best—to rally around one of our own.
Every donation, prayer, message of encouragement, and act of kindness reminds Aliz and her family they are not fighting this battle alone.
Aliz has already shown incredible courage, resilience, and faith through the most difficult season of her young life. Now it's our turn to stand beside her.
Please consider supporting Aliz and her family as they continue this journey. Together, we can help ease the financial burden so they can focus on what matters most: helping Aliz heal.
Thank you for being part of Team Aliz.
Help us support Aliz and her family by marking your calendars for this year's Griffin's Game. Tickets are $13, including fees, with all proceeds benefiting Aliz and her family. Tickets can be purchased HERE.
Fans can also purchase a Griffin's Game Ticket/T-Shirt combo for $28, or purchase a Griffin's Game T-Shirt separately for $20.75 online or at the match (T-SHIRTS). Fans can also support Griffin's Game HERE.
Every ticket, T-shirt and acts of support helps support Aliz and her family as they continue this journey. We hope to see you at Griffin's Game as we come together to show Aliz that she has an entire community behind her. Also, a special thank you to the sponsors of Griffin's Game: One of a Kind, Atlanta Vibe, Rally Volleyball, A5 Volleyball, Brookstone Zaxby's, DCC, Mega Services and CURE Childhood Cancer.
