Plenty of sons grow up wanting to be just like their dads.

Rhett McDonald, head coach of Duluth East basketball, followed in his dad’s footsteps, Mike. On Saturday, the two of them shared the same sideline at Duluth East High School.

In the family affair, there was one more member of the McDonalds who drew a crowd of her own.

Kailee McDonald has been an assistant coach for the Greyhounds girls basketball team for the past 10 years, but when she went in for a routine test recently she was diagnosed with colon cancer.

“Kailee is one of the strongest people I’ve ever met,” said Trevor Olson, Kailee’s brother in law and the creator of the GoFundMe benefitting her. “Her being my brother’s wife, I get to see her personality and she’s just a tough stubborn gal. So, unfortunate that we have to meet this way, but pretty cool, all the support we’re getting.”

That strength comes from her family, who is notably a competitive bunch.

“They’re a competitive family and obviously they’re all coaches and obviously great basketball players in their own right,” said Olson. “So it’s kind of fun to see the banter on their side. I know that they talk about heads-up match-ups all season long and I get to live vicariously through them and get their story. So it’s a pretty cool thing to see.”

Duluth East was filled with activities benefitting the McDonald family, with a silent auction, duck toss, cookies, and more, all to benefit Kailee, plus the GoFundMe made for her.

“We set it up a couple of days ago and it’s kind of blown up, which is super cool,” said Olson. “My original thought was just to give them some sort of safe mind in regards to medical bills and things like that coming up. Just giving them reassurance that they have people behind them.”

Perhaps there is no better community to rally behind Kailee and the McDonalds than the Duluth East community.

“Everybody that’s a Duluth East Greyhound always holds that close to them. Unfortunately, I moved away from Duluth, but even coming back, it just brings back memories and seeing all the faces and it’s a community built around these sports and this school.”