Bill Zito wants to tell you about singer Michael Buble’s panther design.
“Maybe the coolest thing I’ve ever seen,’’ the Florida Panthers general manager said.
Yes, he wants to tell you all about the Grammy Award winner’s idea and colors and design of panthers sculptures for an American Cancer Society fundraiser called, “Panthers on the Prowl.’’ But he can’t tell you. Not yet.
“When you see it, you’ll remember why I wanted to talk about it,’’ he said. “It’s spectacular.”
You see, Zito and his wife, Julie, are the cancer society’s South Florida’s co-chairs, and there are scheduled dates for events. This isn’t some check-the-box charity job for them, either. It’s real. It’s personal.
Zito’s mother, Priscilla, died after seven years of fighting pancreatic cancer. His sister, Maggy Schultz, had three kinds of cancer and survived 25 years before passing at age 52. Julie’s mom died of leukemia, and Julie was her caretaker right to the end.
Then Julie had a battle with breast cancer.
“Chemotherapy, double mastectomy, radiation,’’ her husband said.
That was six years ago when they were in Columbus, Ohio. She’s been cancer-free since.
“The scary part, and the rotten part, is we’re not unique,’’ Zito said. “I think it’s a lot more prevalent than we think. I know there are families with just multiple instances of cancer — a lot of them.”
So, when a friend, City Furniture CEO Andrew Koenig, asked Zito to chair the cancer society’s fundraiser event, his only question was what to do as a fundraiser. The Panthers were gifted 200 life-size panthers sculptures last year. Julie thought of Chicago, where dozens of cow sculptures were displayed around town such that “Cows on Parade” became part of the city.
Presto, “Panthers on the Prowl,” was born. The idea is to sell the 200 panther sculptures to sponsors for $5,000 each and raise $1 million for the cancer society. The sponsors paint or design them. The finished sculptures are then placed around South Florida to raise awareness.
Dan Marino and the Bosa brothers, Joey and Nick, are sponsoring panthers sculptures. So is Guy Harvey, the South Florida artist and conservationist. Tennis legend Martina Navratilova is on board with her personal message against cancer.
“She’s a survivor,’’ Zito said.
South Florida artist Romero Britto’s creation will be put up in an auction with others, to raise more money. You can join this team, too, if you wish.
Zito has a family-designed panther, too. His daughter, Frankie, 14, suggested painting it like the mahi they enjoy catching. So, there’s a blue, green and yellow panther now.
“You can get a number of items in mahi colors — a belt, a coffee cup,’’ Zito said. “But a panther?”
That’s the idea of the sculptures, he said.
“I’m smiling about a mahi-colored panther, and you’re laughing, and it’s all about fighting cancer,’’ he said. “That’s how this was intended. We’re trying to do a good thing, have a good time laughing and smiling, and we’re trying to fight a horror at the same time.
“People can individualize their panthers however they see fit. It could funny. It could be poignant. Maybe someone’s going through treatment right now and wants to do one. Maybe it’s in honor of someone.”
The Miami Dolphins have raised over $75 million the past 15 years with their annual cycling event. Now the Panthers are involved. That’s another way sports helps makes a better community. Zito’s family timeline with cancer shows the money is helping research make advancements.
“People aren’t making donations based on some theoretical hope it works,’’ he said. “You’re seeing it work. You’re seeing stories of how so-and-so was diagnosed this year instead of 10 years ago, and they’ll be OK.”
Julie Zito recently was in a study for a breast-cancer vaccine involving the University of Miami.
“That’s the evolution of the fight,’’ her husband said. “They’re working on a vaccine.”
He flew Wednesday to Nashville for a rookie camp in his day job at architect of the two-time Stanley Cup champions. The Panthers’ training camp opens next week. The season opener is Oct. 7.
But driving around town you’ll see creatively painted panthers sculptures start popping up more. Smile if you see a mahi-colored one. Zito wants you to enjoy it. He also needs you to understand it tells of his family’s fight against a killer.
If you want to donate, go to raiseyourway.donordrive.com/panthersontheprowl/donate.
