On a recent afternoon, Mercer Island’s Schiller brothers displayed concentration and smiles while they prepared for a crucial event that will tip off later this month at the Stroum Jewish Community Center (SJCC).
Brotherly banter was abundant while the men practiced their free throws on the basketball court. Come Jan. 28, those hoops shots will be at the forefront of their 11th annual fund- and awareness-raiser for the National Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society. The Free Throws for MS event will take place from noon until about 3:30 p.m. at the SJCC and will feature David, 57, notching 1,000 shots and Mike, 59 — who was diagnosed with MS 19 years ago — pouring in 100.
Like each year, they aim to raise $10,000 at the event, which took place virtually during the pandemic and will return to in-person form this month and will also be streamed. Over the years at its fundraisers (they’ve also participated in walks and held bingo nights), Team Schiller has reeled in $250,000 for the MS Society.
“Once I was diagnosed, and once I got through the depression of ‘Why me?’ and ‘Why is this happening?’ I started to believe there’s a reason for this and I’m going to get involved and I’m going to help others who are dealing with the same thing and got involved with the MS Society,” Mike said about forming a team and joining the walk that same year with family, friends, colleagues and more members of his networking group.
Mike, who has used a wheelchair for the last eight or nine years, said he woke up one day at the age of 40 and couldn’t move his legs. Before that time, he began stumbling a lot and had back problems. For a number of years following his diagnosis, Mike used a cane to aid his walking; after having a bad fall, he began using a wheelchair.
The passionate basketball player, who began playing in his youth with David at the SJCC, restarted his journey in the athletics realm by competing in wheelchair hoops for the Seattle Sonics and took to the court at the immense Maccabi Games in Israel.
Discussing the robust crowd of 100-150 people who attend the events to watch the brothers hone their basketball skills while supporting a vital cause brings a smile to Mike’s face.
“It’s certainly special to have everyone rally, but it’s even more special that we have so many people — not just supporting David and myself — but getting behind the MS Society and what it stands for,” said Mike, adding that he and David, who both graduated from Mercer Island High School, enjoy filming their humorous promo videos for the event and thrive on bringing their marketing and sales skills into play to gather people at the SJCC.
David noted that he shoots the free throws in honor of Mike and in memory of their parents.
“It’s always very emotional. The last 18 I always dedicate to my parents. We’ve lost both my parents the last five years. I think they helped build the foundation of us, of acts of loving kindness and being that part of it,” David said. Mike added that he currently works as a consultant to organizations to help build programming for “making this a kinder world.”
The event is a physical and mental challenge for David, who is glad to have special people in their lives surrounding them while knocking down free throws.
“This is just a culminating piece of so many things that are really important to me and to our family and brings it all together in one place,” said David, who brought his idea of combining their lifelong love of basketball with supporting the MS Society to fruition more than a decade ago.
The free-throw master beams with pride about sporting an 80% mark during the events and David has been getting in heaps of practice to build stamina before this year’s fundraiser. David figures it will take him between three to three-and-a-half hours to nail 1,000 shots. Mike sprinkles his shots throughout the event and usually saves his last 10 to pair with David’s final set as the crowd watches the brothers team up and provides support.
For information about making donations and event streaming, visit www.FreeThrowsForMS.com.
