Mac Gives Back: NBA superstar establishes fund to help families of Scott County cancer patients

Gate City’s Mac McClung is using his celebrity and sports status to promote a fund being established to help the parents of 16 cancer patients in his native Scott County, Virginia.

“There’s been 16 kids diagnosed with cancer in the last in the last several months which is incredibly concerning with how small our county is,” said the 3-time NBA Slam Dunk Champion in an online message posted on social media Thursday.

A licensed oncology nurse studying the cases explained to county lawmakers last month how desperate the situation is to determine if there is a cancer cluster in Scott County and what is its source if it exists.

McClung said hearing stories from back home about parents having to miss work to take their kids for treatments along with expenses like fuel, meals and hotel rooms has placed hardship on some of these residents.

“We’re going to start a donation fund to try and help these families, ” McClung said in the video clip. “If you guys could donate, it would mean a ton.”

The Gate City native is coordinating the fund drive with Daniel Boone Baptist Church in Gate City along with Subsplash, a company that develops apps and other technology products to help faith-based organization.

(IMAGE: Property of M. McClung / Official Facebook)