Philadelphia, Pa. – (10/17/2013) – Chestnut Hill College's Head Men's Basketball Coach Jesse Balcer and his staff searched high and low during the offseason for a talent that would be the difference in their 2013-2014 run at the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Championships. Joining the Griffins roster as #6, and soon to be #1 in the hearts of GriffinNation, Makhi will officially sign as a member of the Chestnut Hill College men's basketball team during the Midnight Madness festivities on Friday, October 18.

Hailing for Horsham, Pennsylvania, Makhi is a resilient five-year old who has battled pediatric kidney cancer since April 2013. Since being diagnosed with Wilms' Tumor, he has undergone intense surgery to remove the tumor and his kidney and has recently begun chemotherapy treatment. Through Team IMPACT, Makhi and the Chestnut Hill College men's basketball team were introduced.
 
Coach Balcer is thrilled with his new recruit and looks forward to the relationship that he will build with the Griffins over the upcoming season and the years to come, "Often times, we spend so much time preparing for "big games" that we don't slow down to appreciate how good we have it." He continued, "Little Makhi's fight is a constant reminder that we are just playing a game and we are privileged to do so. We will feed off of his toughness all season long while he beats his cancer."

Making a difference in the lives of countless children world-wide, Team IMPACT is a non-profit company focused on improving the quality of life for children facing life threatening and  chronic illnesses. Team IMPACT looks to harness the powers of teamwork and human spirit by linking these courageous kids with various collegiate athletic teams as Team IMPACT children are drafted onto local college teams and, to the greatest extent possible, become an official member of the team for the duration of their treatment and beyond. 






Makhi
Height: 3 feet 7 inches
Weight: 40lbs
Class: Mrs. Pinter (Kindergarten)
Hometown: Horsham, PA
School: Simmons Elementary
Major: Getting Buckets and beating cancer
 



Favorites
Food: Pizza and Wings
Color: Green
Cartoon Characters: Curious George and Cat in the Hat
Movies: Despicable Me, The Smurfs, Happy Feet, White Chicks, and Toy Story
Things to do: Play basketball, football, and hang out with his friends