By JOHN ANDERSON
ROCHESTER — It has been 22 years since Jim and Karen Insley and their children used the Ronald McDonald House in Rochester as a comfortable place to stay and visit their son, Bryce, who was battling leukemia.
The Insley family has given back to the house and The Greater Rochester Ronald McDonald All-Star Basketball Game over the years, and that has not been lost on the committee.
Tonight in Rochester, Jim and Karen Insley will be the keynote speakers at the 2022 Banquet for the boys and girls participants and their families as well as the cheerleaders.
Bryce Insley died at the age of 2 on Jan. 29, 2001. During a long part of his life, Bryce was in Strong Memorial Hospital. His legacy has lived on for decades.
In 2005, the Wellsville boys basketball team, coached by Jim Insley, spent a day at the Ronald McDonald House shoveling snow, cleaning rooms and preparing meals for the families using the house.
In 2008, the pamphlet for Ronald McDonald House Charities has a photo of a bowl of macaroni & cheese and broccoli, a plate served up for Bryce by Karen. The name of the pamphlet was “Helping families when they need it most. The Bryce Insley story.”
“Jim and Karen Insley will be at the house and they are an inspiration and how the Ronald McDonald House helped them and how they give back is a large part of the reason we do this,” said Rich Dibble, the chairman of the games.
The games in Rochester featuring players from each league in Section V, have raised over $350,000 to allow families to stay in the home while their child is going through an illness or injury.
Jim Insley coached the game in 2008, and was honored again when he was asked in 2013 to coach as his son, Matt Insley, was on the team. Insley coached the Red team to a 123-121 victory. He also coached Canaseraga to a Section V title and the community was very supportive to the cause. The Insley family (along with their two other children, McGuire and Brigid) held a fundraisers one season during a Wellsville-Canaseraga varsity game in Canaseraga.
When Insley was playing in Wellsville, his teammate, Dave Quinn, was on the 1986 Ronald McDonald House All-Star team. On Saturday at Rush-Henrietta, Dave’s son, Andrew Quinn of Webster Thomas will be on the Gold Team.
The games are at Rush-Henrietta with the girls at 1 p.m. and the boys at 3 p.m. Tickets are available from the players or at the door.
