HINCKLEY, Ohio — Turkey and football is as American as Thanksgiving itself and The Meadows Turkey Bowl reminds us that community isn't just about tradition, it's about turning compassion into action.
Players raise a minimum of $3,000 just for the chance to play and over the years they've raised more than $5 million for various causes including cancer. But this time it's personal.
In 2020, Turkey Bowl Founder Mike Meadows oldest son Pete was diagnosed with a brain tumor, known as an oligodendroglioma – a moment that turned their world upside down.
But instead of giving up, the Meadows family transformed their pain into purpose. Pete focused on his treatment and healing and Mike worked on a way to find a cure.
"It was really scary when I was diagnosed," Pete shared. "I would want anyone young or old who gets diagnosed to have a feeling of relief that, hey, there's something out there that we can find a cure for – something other than chemo or radiation. Something where we can treat it and let you live a long, healthy life and not go through any of those side effects."
Pete's journey has been marked by both profound challenges and hope. Surgery was able to remove his tumor and he didn't require surgery or radiation. But in a heart-wrenching turn of events, on Mother's Day weekend two years later, he and his wife Anita lost their daughter eight months into pregnancy. They named her Gianna Rae and dedicated the Meadows Turkey Bowl fund in her name.
But hope prevailed. Since then, Pete is now cancer free and the couple has been blessed with a boy and are now awaiting the birth of twins.
Meanwhile the team pushed forward looking for a target to aim the the funding and they decided to create their own.
"The big news for us is that we formed a joint venture between the Cleveland Clinic and University of California San Francisco. And we brought the two together to try to find a cure for brain cancer. Specifically, oligodendroglioma. And that is huge news," Mike Meadows said.
Dr. Justin Lathia from Cleveland Clinic explains why this matters: understanding tumor genetics is crucial. Over three years, the Turkey Bowl will generate $300,000 annually – a significant investment in rare tumor research.
"I think once you understand the genetics of the tumor, you can try to think about how does it grow, how may it respond to therapy? And importantly, how do we develop the next generation of therapies?" Dr. Lathia explained. "But without a better understanding of the genetics of the tumor, none of this is possible."
The Meadows Turkey Bowl team is determined to make a difference now, not later. "We looked around and said, no one's doing anything, and we said, we're going to do something about it," Mike said. "$900,000 over the course of three years is one of the largest, if not the largest research fund for Oligodendroglioma in the country. And so it gives us comfort that we're doing something. We're not just sitting on the sidelines."
This Thanksgiving, the Meadows Turkey Bowl proves that local traditions can be powerful engines of hope, research, and healing. It's a reminder that sometimes, the most meaningful touchdowns happen far from the football field.