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St. Rita-Rice Baseball Game Among The Highlights Of 'Go Gray In May'

 The nationally-ranked St. Rita baseball team will take on rival Brother Rice at 11 a.m. on Saturday in Ashburn. The Mustangs will wear gray uniforms in honor of the late John McNicholas.
The nationally-ranked St. Rita baseball team will take on rival Brother Rice at 11 a.m. on Saturday in Ashburn. The Mustangs will wear gray uniforms in honor of the late John McNicholas.
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BEVERLY — St. Rita High School's baseball team has been ranked in the Top 10 nationwide most of the year, and on Saturday the players will all wear No. 10.

The Mustangs will sport their gray jerseys with the initials LLJ on the back as a nod to the late John McNicholas, a St. Rita freshman ballplayer who died on Jan. 7, 2011.

The game versus rival Brother Rice High School begins at 11 a.m. at the all-boys Catholic high school at 7740 S. Western Ave. in Ashburn.

LLJ stands for Live Like John. It's the common name for the John McNicholas Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. John's parents, Ed and Amy McNicholas, founded the fundraising group shortly after their 15-year-old son died.

Live Like John
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John was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor on March 31, 2010, and died 10 months later. His foundation has since become a powerful force in advocating for research on pediatric brain tumors.

"When I think about what motivates me to continue to run John's foundation, it is really about the disease and the kids that will be diagnosed tomorrow. What is happening on Saturday is personal. It is about the boy and the place, people, and sport he loved so much," Amy McNicholas said on Thursday.

May is also brain tumor awareness month. Thus, Live Like John has a whole series of fundraisers and and events called Go Gray in May.

Here's a list of events throughout the month:

Saturday: St. Rita High School's baseball team will honor their former teammate John McNicholas by wearing gray uniforms — all with John’s No. 10 and the letters LLJ for Live Like John. The game versus rival Brother Rice begins at 11 a.m. at St. Rita.

Tuesday: Fox’s Pizza at 9956 S. Western Ave. in Beverly will host an Eat and Earn. A portion of each sale will be donated to the Live Like John Foundation. Simply present a flier available on the Live Like John Facebook page when dining in or carrying out.

May 16: Live Like Leah, the North Side partner of the John McNicholas Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, will host its first-ever 5K race at 8 a.m. at Skokie School in Wilmette. Race begins at 8 a.m. Online registration is now available.

May 19: Fat Tommy’s at 3031 W. 111th St. in Mount Greenwood will donate 20 percent of each sale to Live Like John. A flier will be available on the Live Like John Facebook page and must be presented at time of sale.

May 20: Ricobene’s Night is from 5–8 p.m. at 252 W. 26th St. in Armour Square. A percentage of all receipts will be donated to Live Like John. Delivery is also available.

May 26: Stop by Janson’s Drive-In at 9900 S. Western Ave. in Beverly and a portion of your bill will be donated to Live Like John.

May 30: Fit Code at 10418 S. Western Ave. in Beverly will offer a special Go Gray in May workout session. The class starts at 9 a.m. and costs $20. All proceeds will be donated to Live Like John.

May 30: Piccolo Mondo will celebrate its 30th anniversary from 7–11 p.m. at 1642 E. 56th St. in Hyde Park. The evening will include live music by Willie Pickens, a performance by Tango 21 Dancers, and the band Cloud of Shame. All profits from bar sales will be donated to Live Like John.

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