06/09/2021
This is a letter of gratitude from the Nicolaas Family to supporters of the
Makayla Street Jam 3-on-3 Tournament - THANK YOU!
We are writing to you, not to solicit further contributions, but to let you know, that as a family we have made the hard decision to not continue with the tournament.
It has been an amazing 8+ years, and with your support we have raised over $134,000 to fund a cure for pediatric cancer and to bring attention to a disease that continues to impact the lives of so many children and their families each year. Through these efforts you have helped us to honor the memory of Makayla and bring together our community for a fun, family activity. Thank you for helping us to celebrate all that she was and always will be to us.
Thank you too for your friendship, for the many hours of love and effort you poured into this tournament. Whether it was by being a tournament sponsor, by donating your time as a referee, a score keeper, or court monitor. By helping behind the scenes with all the preparation - the weeks and days before, the day-of, or the clean up after. By making or donating one of over 700 blankets that made a difference in the patient treatment experience at Children’s in Seattle. By supporting the Silent Auction - whether you helped with it, donated to it, or purchased from it. You forever have our gratitude.
We would be remiss by not specifically acknowledging the following people:
To our dear friends, John and Kay Cruikshank, for coming to us with this idea in the first place, and for doing all the initial groundwork to get this tournament started.
To Mike and Wendy Hammes of RAM Construction for your personal support from the very beginning of Makayla’s illness, and for the generous seed money that helped launch this tournament as a fund raiser.
To Jerry Blankers, with the Lynden Raspberry Festival, for all his guidance in running a successful tournament, the many hours of labor he donated, and for his friendship.
To Barleans Organic Oils of Ferndale for generously supporting us as our top Corporate Sponsor for three years running.
To the Sunrise Rotary Club who named us as one of their 2015 fund raising recipients providing us with a $15, 000 donation.
In addition to that year’s tournament funds, it made it our biggest year ever for funding a cure for pediatric cancer research.
To the City of Ferndale for helping us host the event each year and the use of the property to set up the courts, stands, and parking.
To the Ferndale Chamber of Commerce for coming alongside us in the planning, and for the use of their facility as a base of operations.
Finally, and most importantly, thank you to all the players, coaches, parents, and teams who participated over the years and came to “play some hoops” that Makayla loved so much.
Very sincerely,
The Nicolaas Family – Rick, Karen, Mackenzie + TJ, Mallory, and Makayla
along with the Makayla Street JAM 3-on-3 Committee
(Please see us on Facebook for a list of the Ferndale community businesses and organizations
who graciously contributed financial or in-kind support.)
