BROCKPORT, N.Y. — The St. John Fisher Cardinals and the Brockport Golden Eagles are set to face off in the 19th annual Courage Bowl. The focus of this game goes much deeper than just the action on the field.

The game is one of the biggest fundraisers for Camp Days and Special Times, which holds recreational activities to improve the quality of life of children affected by cancer or sickle-cell anemia. For a pair of Cardinals teammates, it’s personal.

While the fighting on the field will only last a few hours, it pales in comparison to the daily fight faced by children with cancer and other diseases on the sidelines.

“It’s kind of cool to have them come out at the practice, meet them at the luncheon, and have them on the sideline for the game,” said Zach Dreisbach, a Cardinals football player. “Be able to have them feel like they’re part of the team, that aspect, and get the crowd out here too, it’s a great atmosphere for them,”

Cardinals player Gordon Wester added, “Some people don’t possess the ability to do what I do and that’s play college football or live a normal life. Kind of gives me a sense of gratitude for my situation and I’m gonna do my best to play my best for them.”

The Cardinals hope to end a six-game losing streak in the Courage Bowl, but off the field, they hope cancer loses. They’re doing everything they can to give a win to these kids.

“When I was in high school, I actually played in the Teddi Bowl with Victor and Canandaigua, so it’s kind of cool to have that experience in high school and then come here and play for Brockport vs. Fisher too,” Dreisbach said.

Wester, who worked for Camp Good Days over the summer, said, “I was a Teddi Captain. I worked for Camp Good Days over the summer so I’m really close with the organization and everything they do. I’ve really seen firsthand of how well they do their operations and really make a difference in kids and their families’ lives.”

If you’re looking forward to the game, make sure to get to Brockport for a 1 p.m. kickoff on Saturday. News10NBC will have postgame coverage. You can get tickets to the game here.

Camp Good Days was founded by St. John Fisher University’s assistant football coach Gary Mervis, who lost his daughter, Teddi, to a brain tumor in 1982, when she was 9 years old. The Teddi trophy, named in honor of Mervis’ daughter, will be presented at the end of the game.

A.I. assisted with the formatting of this story. Click here to see how WHEC News 10 uses A.I.