Community unites behind Landisch’s cancer fight
Wauwatosa East High School and Wauwatosa West High School are customarily cross-town rivals, but a sense of unity has swept over both sides of Wauwatosa after West boys basketball coach and East alum Mike Landisch, 30, was diagnosed with kidney cancer.
“What’s going on is much bigger than what color you wear or what side of the boundary line you live on,” Landisch’s colleague and East coach Robby Dubinski said.
After Landisch graduated from East in 1998, he worked at West as an education assistant and is now in his first year of teaching fifth grade at Eisenhower Elementary School.
“Teaching in Wauwatosa is a dream come true,” Landisch said. “I could not see myself anywhere else.”
Landisch is also in his second year as head coach of the boys basketball team at West. The team has been supportive of Landisch.
“Initially my team had a difficult time handling the news. We are like a family and they took it as though it happened to someone in their own family,” Landisch said. “My team is using my diagnosis as inspiration for them both on the court and in the classroom.”
Other individuals have lent support to Landisch and his family as well.
Wauwatosa Alderman Dennis McBride has donated his monthly salary to Landisch’s fund. At the recent Brookfield East High School versus Menomonee Falls High School basketball game, the teams were able to raise near one thousand dollars for Landisch.
Between the two schools and other donations, almost seven thousand dollars has been raised. The money will go to cover healthcare costs and any additional expenses Landisch’s family might have.
To help, students can buy orange Tosa Unites T-shirts for sale for $1 to students and $5 to staff.
East junior varsity girls basketball coaches Matt Ferger and Dubinski, along with East administrators, have spearheaded the multiple fundraisers, including T-shirt sales and concessions proceeds.
The athletic booster club donated $1000 initially to buy T-shirts and have since ordered 500 more, with some 135 going to Eisenhower.
“It has truly been a blessing to see the community come together, not as East and West, but as Wauwatosa, to support Mike and our family,” Landisch’s brother Scott Landisch, an East alum as well, said. “On behalf of my family, I would like to extend my appreciation to everyone who has been so giving and supportive.”
Mike Landisch also appreciates the support from the community.
“The number of emails, phone calls and cards I have received...has been overwhelming,” he said. “I try to make an impact on all the students and players that I work with, but in this case [Wauwatosa] has made an impact on me. I could only hope to give as much back to the city, when I beat this disease, as they have to me during this period of my life.”