Donate to help John Ercolano

Hello again Marlins families past and present:

I wanted to send one final note along with a thank you note from John to those very special people who have donated to the cause and to those who plan to contribute towards our goal. We are closing in on halfway! Every bit helps. On behalf of the Marlins coaching staff and all those who know John personally, we thank you for reminding us what MARLINS STRONG really means. You guys are the best!

Coach Barry

Dear Marlins Families and Friends:

The words "Thank You" do not even begin to express my feelings in response to the outpouring of support I have received. I am truly overwhelmed and amazed at the generosity and support you have shown me by your kind donations to me in my battle. I have completed the first round of treatment and am honestly feeling better than I have in a number of weeks. So far, I have not had any of the negative side effects other than a rash and the loss of hair. I am eagerly looking forward to being able to return poolside and in the classroom to continue doing what I truly love doing. Teaching and helping others.

Thank you for your prayers and continued support. It means so much to me.

John

Hello, Potomac Marlins, past and present.

We need your help.

Recently, following the Potomac Marlins annual Coach CPR and Coaches Safety Training certification class, Bill and I were approached by several Potomac Marlins Coaches who had just taken the course. They informed us that the instructor of the course, John Ercolano, brother of long-time Marlins coach, Steve Ercolano, had recently been diagnosed with stage 3 non-small cell lung cancer. Unfortunately, due to personal circumstances, John does not have health care coverage. The coaches asked Bill and me if there was anything we, as a team, could do to help John. Bill and I said, absolutely!

On the drive home, Bill and I contacted Coach Steve to ask if John would be OK with us setting up a Go Fund Me page on his behalf to help generate some much-needed funds to help with the urgently needed cancer treatments and associated costs. John agreed, and I asked him to share some information for this effort, which we have included below, along with our comments.

ABOUT JOHN

John Ercolano has been the Potomac Marlins Red Cross CPR and Swim Coaches Safety staff trainer for the past ten years. He has provided safety training for over 50 Marlins coaches during that time, which has added another level of safety to all of our practice sessions. John is well loved by ALL of our staff for his professionalism, humor, patience, and deep level of experience and knowledge surrounding water safety and saving lives. It's our turn to give back and do what we can to support him.

John is challenged with a large tumor in his right lung, resulting in extreme fatigue and weight loss due to treatment. He's currently receiving chemotherapy, and his oncology team will reevaluate the next steps once his nine-week treatment plan has been completed.

John has been an American Red Cross Instructor for 45 years. He has trained over 100,000 students and over 5,000 Instructors and Coaches in CPR/AED, First Aid, Lifeguarding, Water Safety Instruction, Learn to Swim, and Baby Sitting and has earned recognition as an American Red Cross Top Training Provider. When you add the number of students these instructors have gone on to teach across the U.S., you will find that a large number of people have learned life-saving skills directly or indirectly through John.

Before COVID-19 and his current illness, John was a Loudoun County Substitute Teacher, primarily in the middle schools. He hopes to return to the classroom as soon as possible.

The Potomac Marlins have always been more than a swim team. To Bill and I, it is like being part of a big family that likes swimming and smells like chlorine. As within most families, when one member is down, the others rally in support. You may not know John, but when you send your swimmers to practice, Potomac Marlins' coaches are on deck, secure in their safety skills due mainly to John's time, effort, and concern for others.

Please consider helping with this effort in any way you can. $5, $10, $20+ from our vast member database will go a long way. Please also share the link with many others who may be willing to support this well-deserving community member.