LOUISVILLE, Ky. — For weeks, members of the Fairdale High School girls' volleyball team have raised money for Louisville nonprofit Shirley's Way, which provides assistance to those battling cancer.

But right up until the moment they revealed the check, they didn't know their final total.

“The girls don’t know how much money … was raised and neither do they, so it's all a surprise,” said Paige Goldstein, head volleyball coach.

The organization offers financial assistance to families affected by a cancer diagnosis.

“For the last five years, we have chosen Shirley’s Way to be our organization," coach Allison Poole said during the check presentation. "We wanted it to be something that was close to home, somewhere where we see the impact."

Mike Mulrooney, son of the late Shirley Mulrooney, accepted the check Tuesday morning.

“It’s pretty emotional for me, as you can see," Mulrooney said. "You know, I never thought we’d see my mom’s name on the front of buildings or on the front of checks or on sweatshirts or T-shirts." 

The Lady Bulldogs went above and beyond in surpassing last year's amount raised. 

“It makes me feel good personally because my mom recently went through breast cancer,” senior Emma Krebs said.

Poole said the 2024 total for Shirley's Way is $15,074. In the five years the team has raised money for the nonprofit, it has collected and delivered more than $65,000 to the organization. 

"We promised her we would start raising to try and help people pay their (Louisville Gas and Electric) bill, pay their water bill, keep the roof over their head, put food on the table," Mulrooney said. "There's a lot of people that have to decide in today's world between medication and food, and we shouldn't be in that situation." 

A donation like this helps Kentuckians with cancer overcome financial hardships while showing how a team effort can get the job done.