B-CC To Remember Van Grack At Friday’s Game

Jeff Van Grack ,photo via Lerch, Early & BrewerFriends and family members of the late Jeff Van Grack will be at Friday’s Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School football home opener to help honor the man and raise awareness about the disease that took his life.

Van Grack, who died last month of bladder cancer at the age of 60, led Lerch, Early & Brewer’s Community Association law practice. But his true passion was coaching football, which he did for many years around Montgomery County.

Coworkers at the Bethesda law firm knew it was football season when Van Grack would begin showing up to the office at 5 a.m. He was getting work in before heading off in the early afternoon to coach special teams at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School, where he and coach Josh Singer also established an offseason leadership seminar for players.

“Jeff was a great coach and a better man,” Singer said this week. “Jeff’s message to the players was you don’t have to do something special to be a leader. Anyone can develop those skills and he treated everybody on the team, from the guys who might not play as much to the two-year starters, the same way.”

Together with the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network, the B-CC football team will host the Battling Barons Conquering Bladder Cancer event on Friday, during the team’s game against rival Whitman.

Van Grack’s son Alan will speak at halftime. The event is open to the public, and tickets are $5. Kickoff is at 6:30 p.m.

Van Grack created a partnership between the football program, his law firm and the Advocacy Network, which happens to be located on St Elmo Avenue. He also served on BCAN’s Leadership Council, helping to increase awareness and raise money for educational programs and services. Bladder cancer is the sixth most commonly diagnosed cancer in the U.S.

“Jeff’s commitment to serve on the BCAN Leadership Council was a true demonstration of his passion and dedication to support bladder cancer awareness,” said BCAN President Diane Zipursky Quale. “It is our hope that with this BCAN Awareness Night, we will honor Jeff’s vision and courage by spreading awareness within the Bethesda, and surrounding community.”

Photo via Lerch, Early & Brewer

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