Every year, the tennis team organizes an annual cancer awareness event. This year, they planned to spotlight Mike Wagner, science teacher, who was diagnosed with stomach cancer in January.

Due to rain, that match was canceled and couldn’t be rescheduled.

Wagner said it was an honor that the team planned to recognize him and that their efforts to spread awareness are important to the community as a whole.

“What I’m going through, every family seems to go through at one point or another,” Wagner said.

Wagner was diagnosed with abdominal cancer in early January and then went through four sessions of chemotherapy. After a respite period, he had surgery on Monday, April 26, with the goal to be cancer-free following that surgery.

“His family reached out to some faculty members and said that he’s having a hard time,” Alex Nelle, varsity tennis coach, said. “We wanted to do something to try to boost his spirits.”

Isabella Tyluyayev, junior, has Wagner in AP Physics class and is happy the team was planning to recognize him.

“It’s hard seeing a teacher go through something that you have no control over,” Tyulyayev said.

The administration and staff also recognized and fundraised for Wagner during the Walk for Wagner event on Friday, May 3.

Dr. Michael Wegener, associate principal, participated in and helped plan the event. Dr. Wegener said the administration wanted the staff involved in fundraising.

“Doing something that is out on the track, visible that people are doing together just seemed a little bit more active, visual and meaningful,” Dr. Wegener said.

There were more than 45 teachers participating in the walk, and they raised $1,500. Dr. Wegener joined the administration to ensure a principal is always walking the track during the seven-hour fundraiser.

This story was originally published on Marquette Messenger on May 6, 2024.