Maddie Schmidt and her two brothers pose for a picture on the court after getting some shots up.
Photo credit: Magic for Maddie
SOUTHAMPTON — Norris Elementary School will host the third annual Magic for Maddie 3v3 basketball tournament on Saturday, March 29, and Sunday, March 30, in what has become a slam dunk of an effort to raise funds in support of pediatric cancer research.
Magic for Maddie is a nonprofit organization born during the summer of 2022 to raise funds for diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, or DIPG, research and to help fund 8-year-old Maddie Schmidt’s clinical DIPG trial at Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia. Ninety percent of children diagnosed with DIPG die within two years of diagnosis — the media survival time is 11 months and overall survival rate is less than 1%.
Although Maddie lost her heroic 10-month battle against DIPG — a horrific form of brain cancer — her legacy continues to shine and inspire her community.
“Although cancer is what took Maddie’s life, it is not her legacy,” said Nora Schmidt, Maddie’s mother. “In eight short years, Maddie loved deeply, shined brightly and inspired a community with her kindness, tenacity and sparkle. We want to thank our amazing community for your support during our darkest hours and we hope this event will bring a little of Maddie’s magic to all who attend. We know Maddie will always leave a little sparkle wherever she goes.”
Community members of all ages, first graders to adults, will spend the weekend at Norris school in competitive games of hoops, all to raise funds for and remember Maddie’s life. The tournament is presented by the Southampton Youth Athletic Association and Hyundai Hope on Wheels.
High school teams and the three adult brackets — women, men under 40 and men over 40 — are set to tip off at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 29. On Sunday, March 30, divisions for elementary and middle school teams will tip off at 9 a.m.
All games will be played at Norris School in Southampton. There will be double elimination brackets, prizes for winners and best “Spirit of Maddie” team awards. The event is not open to the public, but support and donations can still be made at magicformaddie.com.
Schmidt told Reminder Publishing that the family has always loved the game of basketball. Maddie’s two brothers and cousins all played the game as did Maddie, whose team was coached by her mother.
“On or off the court, it’s always been a fun game within our family to play and watch,” said Schmidt.
After Maddie’s passing, her school, Norris Elementary, wanted to create this event to raise funds for the Maddie Schmidt Memorial Scholarship that is given out each spring to a graduating senior from Hampshire Regional High School. The scholarship honors Maddie’s kindness, tenacity and enduring sparkle.
Proceeds from the first two years of the tournament went to fund the memorial scholarship, but this year the scholarship is fully funded, so all proceeds from the event will be going directly to Magic for Maddie, which helps fuel research, help families in the fight and impacts locally.
“The event has exceeded our expectations in every way,” said Schmidt. “Each year, teams have come to remember Maddie — many decked out in purple and teal outfits, lots of sparkle and some with team names like, ‘Just Do It for Maddie.’ The event has sold out all three years and is getting bigger each year.”
In the first two years, the tournaments raised a combined $40,000.
“The games are fun with almost all teams featuring their best sparkle and swag. They have also become fiercely competitive, attracting local travel teams and adult divisions,” Schmidt added.
This year, state Sen. John Velis (D-Westfield) will be playing on one of the 155 teams in total set to compete over the weekend, demonstrating the extent to which Magic for Maddie’s work has stretched in this community.
“To see the mission of our nonprofit reaching new heights within our local government speaks volumes,” said Schmidt. “We are so thankful for Sen. Velis’ support for children with cancer and we will continue our advocacy work at the local, state and national level to ensure that Maddie’s memory lives on and that our work to fuel research will hopefully one day help a child that will be diagnosed with cancer.”
New to this year’s basketball tournament is an online auction coinciding with the event. The auction to support Magic for Maddie starts on March 21 and closing on Sunday, March 30 at 2 p.m. Auction items include a week-long Christmas getaway in Sunapee, New Hampshire, four tickets to a Boston Celtics game during the 2025-2026 season with limo transportation, a party at Maddie’s Magical Playground, a firetruck ride to school, an electric bike and more.
For more information on how to get involved with the auction, or just to donate to Magic for Maddie, visit magicformaddie.com.
Magic for Maddie became an official 501c3 charity in 2024, doubling down on its mission to fuel research for DIPG, helping families in the fight against pediatric cancer and impact locally. To date, Magic for Maddie has raised more than $750,000 and funded more than $90,000 in game changing research, primarily through their partnership with ChadTough Defeat DIPG Foundation as a research co-funder, and also with the DIPG DMG Research Funding Alliance.
The foundation has also donated more than $365,000 in direct financial support to pediatric cancer families and kept $70,000 local, supporting Western Massachusetts nonprofit organizations and families fighting serious childhood illnesses.
For more information about the third annual Magic for Maddie 3v3 basketball tournament, or to learn more about Maddie’s legacy, visit magicformaddie.com.
With the third iteration of the basketball tournament in Maddie’s memory set, Schmidt said the community support for the family and the cause that is Magic for Maddie continues to be “truly remarkable.”
“We are especially grateful that we were already able to sell out all of the basketball tournament brackets, and it touches us deeply to see all of the kids and families come out for a fun day of basketball, all to help raise funds and awareness for pediatric cancer,” Schmidt said. “We know that Maddie’s sparkle will shine out on the basketball courts and can’t wait to see everyone come together for such a worthwhile cause. Without this community, Magic for Maddie would not be what it is today, and we are truly making a difference every single day.”
