Not enough teams sign up for Fox charity event
BY PATRICIA A. MILLER Staff Writer

BRICK TOWNSHIP - A basketball tournament benefit planned for a local couple who lost two of their three children within nine months has been canceled.

"Unfortunately, this thing didn't fly," said EdwardWilkowski, a retired Newark police officer who began organizing the charity event several months ago. "I'm more devastated than anybody."

Only 15 teams signed up for the charity event, which required pre-registration, he said.

"We just didn't have enough participating teams signed up prior to the tournament," he said. "I can't do it with 15 teams."

Wilkowski began setting up the March 16 benefit right after he read a story about Michelle and Michael Fox in the Bulletin in November.

The Foxes lost two children to Batten disease. Kaliann Rose died at 5 in September 2006. Tyler Michael, 4, died last July. The couple had no idea they were each carriers of a recessive gene for the rare genetic disorder when they married in 2000. Only their daughter Ava, now almost 3, has been spared

The Fox benefit plans went well for a while.

Brick school officials gave Wilkowski permission to use the Brick Memorial High School gymnasium. The township recreation department offered to put the event under the department's insurance. A security officer from Monmouth Medical Center who moonlights as a disk jockey offered to provide the music for the event.

But Wilkowski had to let the vendors who were going to provide trophies and Tshirts for the event know how many he was going to need.

"The companies needed at least two weeks tomake these shirts and trophies," he said. "I couldn't give thema definite answer. The problem is the commitment with the shirts and the trophies."

The applications for the event clearly stated that preregistration was required, Wilkowski said.

"Unfortunately, this thing didn't take off," he said. "I don't knowif these people thought it was a walk-in thing. The applications specifically said there was a deadline."

Wilkowski, who has organized benefits before, said there have usually been 70 to 100 teams for each event.

"I can never count on how many participants are going to be in there," he said. "It's really unfortunate. It's the only thing I can't control. Everything else went good."

He is still getting calls from teams who wanted to participate,Wilkowski said.

"I never cashed a check," he said. "I'mreturning all the checks. I talked to all the people."

Wilkowski is hoping to reschedule the benefit sometime during the summer months, at the height of the tourist season when more people are available.

Proceeds from the tournament would have gone to the Fox family to help with medical bills accrued during their children's illnesses.