More than $4,500 was raised Wednesday night at the benefit “A Night for AJ” inside Kachel Gymansium.
Coupled with the Cure 33 Fund that was established in January when word had spread that Raebel, a former UW-Whitewater football player had testicular cancer, more than $11,000 has now been raised.
All the money raised will go directly to Raebel’s hospital bills his insurance doesn’t cover.
Raebel, who will undergo his final chemotherapy treatment next week, was in attendance and in good spirits.
However, it was emotional for Raebel, who has been undergoing chemotherapy treatments since Jan. 18.
“When the doctors were talking about the survival rate, you don’t think for a second you’re going to die, but you look back on your life and examine it,” said Raebel, who last played for the UW-Whitewater football team in 2007. “I had a lot of time to think on things you could have done or should have done.
“[But] looking around tonight seeing all these people out here supporting me and seeing all the love, it’s really hard to think I did anything wrong.”
The benefit lasted approximately two hours and included two wheelchair basketball games and a basketball game pitting Raebel’s former teammates against the 2009 Stagg Bowl champion team. The 2009 team won by one point, but on a night like tonight, the final outcome was irrelevant.
Moreover, the UW-Whitewater cheer team put on a performance and the Milwaukee Bucks Rim Rockers put on a show that included jumping over Raebel.
The one side of the gym was almost filled to capacity with Chancellor Richard Telfer, UW-Whitewater athletic director Paul Plinske, former head coach Bob Berezowitz and current head coach Lance Leipold in attendance as well as many other Warhawk coaches.
“You guys are all amazing support,” said Raebel, a two-time All-American linebacker. “ I can’t thank you enough. We needed it, so thank you.”
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