Cyclones step up for scleroderma research

The Ivette Foundation held a basketball fundraiser in December to raise money for a rare disease, scleroderma. All of the proceeds went to Johns Hopkins Hospital for scleroderma research. 

After her mother passed away from the rare disease in 2014, Vero Estefani ’25 and her older sister were inspired to start the foundation, which works to “raise awareness, and advocate for a cure for the disease,” said Estefani, who is president.

The cause clearly inspired the Carrollton community in their game against the Palmetto Panthers; the turnout was great, and this energy helped push the Cyclones to victory. At halftime the score was 13-17 with the Cyclones down by four. It was anyone’s game until five minutes were left in the fourth quarter. Then the Cyclones scored eight points in only 35 seconds, forcing the Panthers to call a timeout. Carrollton won a hard-fought match with a final score of 44-36. 

For the Cyclones, beating Palmetto meant more than just winning a basketball game, especially after their previous loss to Cardinal Gibbons. 

“Watching my team play with effort and grit and proving that we are not the underdogs and that we can win meant everything to me,” said Gaby Pons ‘25. “The crowd was amazing, and everything was great. I am very proud of my team and what they’ve accomplished and what we will be accomplishing near in the future.”

Estefani hopes that The Ivette Foundation will continue to hold fundraisers like this and fulfill their goal of helping as many people as they can. “I hope it can achieve more in the future. There are so many people we can help, and there is always someone who needs our help in the world. Being able to help others is really the goal that I am trying to achieve.”