Cranberry CUP’s 2024 Inspirational Family is the Tuites, from left, Lori, Tyler, Zac and Rick. Holly Mead/Special to the Eagle

CRANBERRY TWP — Since he was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma in January, Rick Tuite, of Cranberry Township, has spent the last few months in and out of the hospital receiving treatment for cancerous growth in his mouth. He has lost several teeth as a result of radiation and chemo, and has been unable to return to his job driving for Reinsfelder Trucking since December.

For a few hours on Friday night, Aug. 2, at the Cranberry Highlands Golf Course, Tuite and his family received the warmth and admiration of friends and neighbors who supported them when they needed it most.

That is the spirit of the Cranberry CUP, which stands for Community Uniting People. It started in 2000 as a modest, seven-team softball tournament to raise funds for the American Cancer Society. Since then, the event now encompasses an entire weekend of activities, charity and generosity, including a golf tournament, a cornhole tournament, a home run derby and college scholarships.

On Friday night, the organization held the kickoff party for its 25th anniversary event.

“It’s about uniting people in our community, bringing our community together and, more importantly, helping people in our community,” said Cranberry CUP president Anthony Bertolino, who joined in 2005 to kick-start the CUP’s golf outing. “Sometimes people have some hard times in their life, and it's great to be part of an organization that helps others.”

Each year, the bulk of the proceeds from the CUP benefit one “Inspirational Family,” and the Tuite family earned that honor this year after being selected by the organizers. A friend submitted the application to the CUP on the Tuites’ behalf.

“I know there were other families that were also up for the nomination,” said Lori, Rick’s wife. “But I do know that a friend of ours had placed our name into the hat, and the board reviewed situations, had interviews and subsequently voted. And that's how we became the inspirational family.”

“A friend of ours called the Cranberry CUP people, and they came to us,” Rick Tuite said.

Tuite credits the CUP, in part, for giving him more of a chance to survive his battle with cancer without putting a strain on his family.

“I had to make a decision. Either I was going to fight this and live and bankrupt my family, or just battle naturally, do what I could do to get my family sustained, and then die,” he said. “They came in and just picked us up with their arms and gave me the opportunity to fight the cancer, instead of giving in to it.”

Lori Tuite says that the last few months after Rick’s diagnosis were psychologically rough on her as she tried to be a rock for her husband and for herself.

“You want to remain a positive force and you need to be their cheerleader. You need to be their support and then it weighs heavily on you,” she said. “There were days I got down myself, and then I had to turn to my friends in order for them to lift me up and support me.”

Cranberry CUP vice president Robin Shaffer doesn’t have an exact figure for how much the Cranberry CUP expects to raise this weekend, but she added that the organizers don’t set an exact target to earn for their beneficiaries. The funds for the Tuite family will go toward helping them pay their housing bills.

“We don’t set an amount for families,” Shaffer said. “We just meet their needs. Every family is different, so we just try to meet their needs the best we can.”

Recently, Tuite and his family received some more good news. On Monday, July 29, a biopsy revealed that what was thought to be a cancerous growth in his kidney was not actually cancerous. However, Tuite still has six weeks of radiation and chemotherapy scheduled for the growth in his mouth.

A friend has taken over driving Tuite’s truck during his illness, and Tuite collects a small percentage of whatever income the truck collects during its deliveries, even while he is away. Tuite says he is hoping to return to driving his truck in “a couple of months.”

“When I feel stronger, I can get back on the road,” he said. “I haven’t had a paycheck since January.”

A kickoff party for the 25th annual Cranberry CUP event was held Friday evening at Cranberry Highlands Golf Course. Holly Mead/Special to the Eagle

Jill Izenas, Robin Shaffer, GiGi Reep and Sue Hart helped with the kickoff party for the 25th annual Cranberry CUP event at Cranberry Highlands Golf Course on Friday. Holly Mead/Special to the Eagle

Volunteers from HBK — Natalie Price, Owen Hasenauer and Kristi Hackworth — collected tickets at the kickoff party for the 25th annual Cranberry CUP held at Cranberry Highlands Golf Course on Friday. Holly Mead/Special to the Eagle

A kickoff party for the 25th annual Cranberry CUP event was held Friday evening at Cranberry Highlands Golf Course. Holly Mead/Special to the Eagle

Lori Tuite greets attendees of the Cranberry CUP kickoff at the Cranberry Highlands Golf Course on Friday. The CUP chose the Tuite family as its Inspirational Family. Holly Mead/Special to the Eagle

The band 56 East entertains the crowd gathered for the kickoff party for the 25th annual Cranberry CUP at Cranberry Highlands Golf Course. Holly Mead/Special to the Eagle