MEMPHIS – We are excited to announce that the 7th Annual Max Burdette Memorial Match is set to take place during our second game of the weekend on Sunday, September 17th at 2:30pm. Please join us on the Rhodes soccer field as Rhodes Men's Soccer team takes on McMurry University.

Rhodes Soccer launched the "Match for Max" in the spring of 2015 after 17-year-old Max Burdette, younger brother of Rhodes Soccer alumnus Paul Burdette, passed away to cancer in September 2014. Max fought a two-year battle with Fibrolamellar Hepatocellular Carcinoma (sometimes referred to as FHC, FHCC, or Fibrolamellar), a rare form of liver cancer found primarily among teens and young adults. Rhodes Soccer organizes this annual match to commemorate Max's life and courage, and to support all those currently in the fight against both Fibrolamellar as well as other forms of childhood cancer.

With only 200 diagnoses worldwide each year, Fibrolamellar research receives relatively limited funding. In order to support fibrofighters in the United States and abroad while also supporting Max's memory, the Burdette family established the Max Burdette Fibrolamellar Cancer Research Foundation in February 2016. The Foundation seeks to raise critical funds through donations and fundraising to support scientists and researchers in search of a cure for this rare disease. As part of this effort, the Max Burdette Foundation partnered with the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) in 2020 (www.uthsc.edu/surgery/flcc/index.php) to establish a UTHSC Fibrolamellar Carcinoma Center (FLCC) in cooperation with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. As always, the Foundation and the Burdette family express their deep gratitude to Rhodes College soccer and to all those who have supported the Foundation's mission.

The Max Foundation will be accepting donations this week in the Rhodes refectory as well as at the pitch on game day. Donations can also be made via PayPal at www.maxburdette.com, where you can also learn more about Max and other ways to help support the foundation. All proceeds will directly benefit The Max Foundation and the search for a cure for Fibrolamellar.

We look forward to seeing everyone as we cheer on the Lynx this Sunday!