Before he died of cancer in 2005, 17-year-old Zach Ramsey challenged his family to raise money to help families struggling to pay doctor bills for their children with cancer.
That fund has grown to $150,000 and today will get an injection of another $25,000 to $30,000 after the first "Give Back with Zach" tailgate party.
The organizers, led by Zach's parents, Jim and Mary Louise Ramsey, sold $50 tickets for a game-viewing party at Fifty-1 Sports Bar in southeast Charlotte. As of 11 a.m., Jim Ramsey proclaimed the event a sell-out.
"Zach was a really big-hearted kid and got close to people," the father said. "We had people tell us, 'this is a great cause and that's wonderful, but we're coming for Zach.'"
Zach was a sophomore at Myers Park High when he was diagnosed. During treatments, he saw the burden medical expenses placed on families and wanted to help.
So in the last three months of his life, he took $1,000 of money he earned working at a Charlotte Chik-Fila and started the The Zach Ramsey Children's Fund.
Before he died, he and his father decided the fund would need to raise $2 million, if 5 percent were taken each year to pay most out-of-pocket expenses for the 30 to 40 families at Presbyterian Hopsital's Blume Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Clinic, where Zach was treated.
"I don't care if it takes 20 years, but we'll get there," Jim Ramsey said.
Today's tailgate begins at 3 p.m. and won't end until time runs out on the Panthers game against San Diego.
Former Panthers Kevin Donnalley, Jeff Mitchell and Wesley Walls are expected t o make appearances. Donnalley got Jake Delhomme, Steve Smith and Julius Peppers to sign jerseys as door prizes.
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