(Tribune photo by Tom Larson)
Mia Post, 4, is shown on a poster board at the entrance to KMS High School on Monday. Post is the daughter of Saints head boys basketball coach Lucas Post and his wife, Lyndsey. Mia was diagnosed with a Wilm’s tumor, affecting her kidney in October. Since then, she’s had surgery to remove the kidney and tumor and she’s now undergoing additional treatments. As a health precaution, Mia did not attend Monday’s pre- and post-game fundraiser for the Post family.

Boys basketball: Hundreds turn out to make 'Miracle for Mia' in Kerkhoven

KERKHOVEN — Basketball teams typically want nothing more than a win on game night, but the KMS boys team’s encounter with Hancock on Monday was just a small part of something much bigger.
Before, during and after Hancock’s 72-33 victory over the Saints, friends, well-wishers and fans packed the school cafeteria and gym to take part in the “Miracle for Mia” fundraiser for Mia Post, the 4-year-old daughter of KMS head coach Lucas Post and his wife, Lyndsey.
In October, Mia Post was diagnosed with a Wilm’s tumor, which is a form of childhood kidney cancer. The kidney and tumor were removed but a small tumor turned up on Mia’s lung and she’s currently undergoing treatments that could stretch until September.
“This is amazing,” Lyndsey Post said of Monday’s turnout for the taco feed, silent and live auctions and the game, as well as other activities.
“It was fantastic,” Lucas Post said. “We didn’t really know what to expect because (organizers) were trying to keep some things secret but it was a tremendous event.”
Like Mia, Lucas Post also was diagnosed with a Wilm’s tumor when he was about the same age as his daughter. The family finds it special that his treatment was part of a clinical study at that time, and that results from that study are now being used to aid in his daughter’s treatment.
“It’s a blessing that what they did for him 30 years ago helps in her treatment now,” Lyndsey Post said.
Mia has handled the chemotherapy treatments well and her blood counts are improving. So well, in fact, that she now gets the single-day treatments every three weeks instead of once a week, Lyndsey said.
A Miracle Mia Foundation has been set up at the Prinsbank in Prinsburg, and the community’s outpouring of support for the family, which includes 7-year-old Isaac and 11-month-old Archer, has been tremendous, she said.
“It’s humbling, the support we’ve received from family, coworkers, daycare and church,” said Lyndsey, who is a first grade teacher in the MACCRAY district. “At work, they’ve been so understanding when there are times I have to be gone. We’ve gotten so many cards in the mail and anonymous donors dropping things off at the house. We received a Target gift card and it just said, ‘From Santa.’ We can’t thank people enough.”
Unfortunately, the Saints couldn’t top off the evening with a victory.
Hancock’s Taylor Holleman scored 19 points and Jordan Miller and Collin Brown each scored 11. Holleman also had 9 assists and 7 rebounds.
Jacob Zvorak led the Saints with 18 points.
Hancock 72, KMS 33
Hancock (2-7) 41 31 — 72
KMS (0-10) 15 18 — 33
HANCOCK – 30-58 FG (2-12 3-pt); 10-19 FT; 27 rebounds; 16 fouls … Scoring: Jerrid Jepma 7, Taylor Holleman 19, Justin Miller 8, Logan Kisgen 5, Maverick Wolf 2, Anthony Koehl 4, Collin Brown 11, Jordan Miller 11, Bryce Schmidgall 1, Brandon Shaw 4 … 3-point shots: Jepma 1, Brown 1 … Rebound leaders: Holleman 7 … Assist leaders: Holleman 9 … Steal leaders: Koehl 3, A.Miller 3
KMS – 14-44 FG (2-10 3-pt); 3-12 FT; 24 rebounds; 16 fouls … Scoring: Alex Holtberg-Woltjer 2, Taylor Feldman 3, James Faulkner 2, Cameron Hjelle 2, Jacob Zvorak 18, Preston Mahlum 6 … 3-point shots: Zvorak 2 … Rebound leaders: NA … Assist leaders: Feldman 5 … Steal leaders: NA