History of Raffle and Personal Stories

Since 2009, Matsuricon has ran a charity raffle and auction to benefit Pelotonia, the annual charity bike ride that benefits the Ohio State University James Cancer Center and Solove Research Institute.  100% of all the money raised during the weekend is donated to Pelotonia. 

Alot of us in the Matsuricon family have been affected by cancer, some more personally than others, but the resolve is the same – to work together and raise money for this wonderful cause. To date, Matsuricon has raised more than $4,000 towards cancer research. In 2011, Matsuricon worked with Funimation to raise over $1200 for the earthquake and tsunami victims in Japan.  External Con Chair John Hoelscher explains why Matsuricon started this unique charity event:

“It’s not everyday that one simple event changes your perspective on life on a dime.  In 2009, I was diagnosed with leiomyosarcoma, a rare cancer that spreads through the tissue and blood. What I thought was a normal, run of the mill cyst on my shoulder, was something that would change my perspective. After being in the hospital at the James Cancer Center and realizing that I was very lucky compared to many other people receiving treatment there, I wanted to make a difference in my own way. I proposed the idea of having a cancer charity to the Matsuricon Board of Directors, and they were on board to support my wife and I in our effort to ‘bring the fight’ to cancer.

“My wife and I cannot thank everyone enough for contributing to the charity. Even thought I was able to walk out of the hospital, many other people, like my wife’s mother, do not survive the fight. We only hope that with every dollar that we raise will bring us one step closer to finding a cure for cancer.”