Striking out Cancer

Tournament Raises Funds to Fight Cancer

Crystal Landini donates $3,112 to the Enloe Foundation to support cancer services in honor of her son, Casey Melugin.

Some people say high school friendships are forever. Crystal Landini can attest to that on behalf of her son, Casey Melugin. He passed away in March of 2016 from colorectal cancer, three and a half years after being diagnosed with the disease. He was 35.

Casey was an active person, an avid fisherman and a softball enthusiast. His mother describes him as outgoing, a character and a loving stepfather. Everybody loved him. “He was one of those kinds of people who everybody thought they were his best friend because he made you feel that way,” she said.

Almost seven years after Casey’s death, his high school friends remained loyal. Jeff Klassen, one of Casey’s Pleasant Valley High School classmates, reached out to Crystal with a proposition to participate in a charity softball tournament to honor Casey.

“He said, ‘I just don’t want him to be forgotten,’ and I go, ‘Wow that’s pretty special,’” she recalled. “He said, ‘We love Casey, and we miss him. Could you be there?’ and I said, ‘Are you kidding? Of course, I’ll be there.’”

A Heartwarming Weekend

With Crystal’s blessing, Jeff, his wife and friends began organizing the weekend softball tournament in Penn Valley, a community 68 miles southeast of Chico.

They went all out, renting the fields, getting teams together, and creating flyers and T-shirts, all with the hope of raising funds to donate to a local cancer organization.

After a couple months of preparations, the tournament took place in October of 2022. With over 100 participants, the event was a complete success. Crystal even threw the first pitch during the men’s and co-ed championship games.

“Everybody worked hard, and it was a wonderful weekend,” she said.

After it was all said and done, the Klassens had one more surprise. They handed Crystal $3,112, so she could pick an organization to donate the money in her son’s name. “As a mother, it just warms your heart. I think of Casey every day, but to see other people reach out and still value his friendship so much that they would do that (was truly amazing),” she said.

Helping Future Patients

Crystal was then tasked with finding a local organization that supports cancer patients. She remembered with fondness the nurses at the Enloe Infusion Therapy Clinic and Hospice, who cared for her son. She had also been a volunteer at Enloe Medical Center up until the COVID-19 pandemic began, so she reached out to Enloe Volunteer Services for advice, as well as another one of her son’s friends, who works at the medical center. Both recommended the Enloe Foundation and informed her of the plans to build a new comprehensive cancer center in Chico.

“There are no words to describe what an honor it is to receive this heartfelt gift in remembrance of Casey,” said Suzanne Watroba, the Enloe Foundation’s Director of Advancement. “His friends’ thoughtfulness will help Enloe achieve our vision of helping more cancer patients and their families receive high-quality, compassionate care close to home to ease an already highly stressful and difficult situation.”

The Klassens and Crystal were so pleased with the success of the tournament, they are already planning to do it all again next year using Casey’s nickname, “The Cake Dog Classic.”

“If we can do anything to help somebody, I know Casey would love it,” Crystal said.

A Common Cancer

Colorectal cancer is the third-most common cancer in both men and women and the third-leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the U.S. Talk to your doctor about screening options starting at age 45 or younger if you:

• Have a change in bowel habits
• See blood in or on your stool
• Experience persistent abdominal pain, aches or cramps
• Have a personal or family history of:
  • Inflammatory bowel disease
  • Colorectal cancer, polyps, or ovarian, endometrial or breast cancer