Nikko Boesch selected as beneficiary of annual Joe Torres tournament (2024)

LEXINGTON — Nikolai “Nikko” Boesch has been named as the 2024 beneficiary of the 20th annual Joe Torres Co-Ed Sand Volleyball Tournament July 28.

Nikko, 2, has been fighting hepatoblastoma, a liver cancer that primarily affects young children.

Hepatoblastoma is a rare tumor that originates in cells in the liver and is the most common cancerous liver tumor in early childhood. Survival rates have reached 80-90%.

It’s estimated that between 50 and 250 children are diagnosed with liver cancer each year.

Nikko, his parents and three brothers live in Lexington.

Just a month after turning 2 years old, Nikko and his family received the devastating diagnosis.

Nikko went through four rounds of chemotherapy while being placed on the transplant list.

On July 10, Nikko received a partial liver transplant and is recovering in Omaha.

Nikko’s father, Nate Boesch, spoke with the Clipper-Herald about receiving the news that Nikko was selected as the beneficiary of this year’s tournament.

“I was really excited to hear it,” Boesch said. “For them to accept my son was such a great thing. It shows that a community can help support someone they don’t even know.”

Boesch said he is thankful for the support of the community and how this means so much to family as they are out of work while being in Omaha for their son’s recovery.

The tournament will be held Sunday, July 28, at both Plum Creek Park and the Lexington Aquatic Center starting at 8 a.m. The deadline to register a team is Thursday, July 24, at noon; the entry fee is $100 per team.

The format will be pool play, followed by a gold and silver division tournament at Plum Creek Park.

Concessions will be available all day, and a raffle drawing will be held at the conclusion of the tournament.

All proceeds raised the day of the tournament through team fees, donations and the raffle drawing are given to the recipient to help ease their financial burdens.

The Joe Torres benefit tournament was founded by Jim Macias.

Macias, a Scottsbluff native, moved to Lexington in 1993 with his family and met Joe Torres, who shared the exact name of Macias’ high school best friend.

Torres was diagnosed with leukemia and within three months lost nearly 100 pounds.

As a volleyball player, Macias decided to start a fundraising volleyball tournament to help his new friend.

“I never thought in a million years we would still be here 30-plus years later,” said Macias.

Macias expressed his gratitude for all the local businesses that have been there with him from the beginning. “It would be impossible without their yearly support to continue this.”

Teams have come from all over, including Omaha, Lincoln, Grand Island, Minden and many more places. Torres’ family has been involved since the beginning as they try to put a team together each year.

Macias said he believes that people from all over show support because they themselves have been affected by cancer in some shape or form.

The youngest recipient was 5-month-old Camilo Placencia Velazquez in 2021.

“Cancer knows no age, gender or race,” said Macias. “Being able to help these families, even just the slightest, really hits home.”

The beneficiary named each year comes at no easy cost. A committee of five anonymous community members are given names and diagnoses of potential recipients. The committee does research and gathers to select the beneficiary.

“It seems like every year after the tournament, someone says they know someone that could use the help,” said Macias. “I tell them to shoot me a text with their name and we will have the committee look at it.”

Macias said that best way to find out why this tournament has been successful for 30 years is to talk to the ones who are playing. “They are the ones making this happen. Each year new faces show up, and that really tells you that you are doing something right.”

To register a team, donate raffle items or become a sponsor, contact Jim Macias at 308-746-3100 or Henry Vogt at 308-529-0705.