JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The sights and sounds of the Super Bowl filled a Jacksonville airport on Sunday. V for Victory hosted its annual watch party in a hangar at Craig Field.
“I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2021," said V for Victory Warrior Alante Falkner.
That diagnosis brought Falkner's family the most stressful battle of their lives.
Although she was the only one who was sick, the diagnosis impacted the whole family.
“It’s really hard on the family, not even considering what she’s going through," said Falkner's Husband David Campbell. "It’s like, a pretty crazy ride. It’s great to have that support system and know who to turn to. When you don’t know who to turn to, these are the people.”
Falkner is in remission now, but V for Victory still checks in on them to see if they need anything.
The nonprofit helps cover everyday expenses for families battling cancer so they can focus on getting better.
“We service 500 community member, so anything from dry clean, laundry, tires, anything a family is struggling with," said V for Victory Board Member Chip Greene.
The Super Bowl is the biggest night of the year for the charity.
V for Victory’s first Super Bowl Watch Party last year raised $100,000, and they raised the ante this time around.
“$200,000 – we would love to double it this year," said Greene. "We tried to up our game this year.”
Regardless of who they were rooting for, everyone at the watch party could do it knowing they were supporting a good cause.
Greene said they had raised $147,000 before kick-off.