JACK Di Giantomasso passed away from leukaemia at the age of 52 in 2013.
His brother, Peter, was especially affected by his passing, and wanted to find a way to let his brother's legacy live on.
“I didn't want to let him (Jack) just die in vain,” Di Giantomasso said.
So Di Giantomasso approached the Greenvale Football Club to see if they would be happy to play a game in honour of Jack.
“I picked the footy (as a means of fundraising) because me, my brother and my whole family are mad Essendon supporters,” he said.
Of course, the club happily agreed, and today’s match against Keilor now means much more than just the four points.
The two clubs will be playing for the 'Leukaemia Cup', and the players will be playing for a best-on-ground medal in honour of Jack.
There will be a barbecue held by Di Giantomasso and his family, who are heavily involved in his wonderful initiative.
“I count my lucky stars every day,” Di Giantomasso said about his family.
“They're the ones who come down to the barbecue and advertise the day.”
His family will also be walking around the ground with donation tins, where people can donate money towards the Leukaemia Foundation.
All the proceeds from the barbecue and the donation tins will go towards finding a cure for the debilitating disease, something Di Giantomasso has wanted to do ever since his brother’s passing.
“I’d love to stand over his grave and tell him we found a cure for this,” Di Giantomasso said.
He and his family have raised close to $15,000 so far for the Leukaemia Foundation, through various ‘World’s Greatest Shave’ campaigns and other fundraising initiatives.
Di Giantomasso’s newest initiative, the ‘Leukaemia Cup’ match, is sure to contribute a generous amount of money towards the cause, thanks to the support of the EDFL community.
He hopes that the day at Section Road can continue to occur every year, and get bigger and better.
Jack would have loved that.
