Marotta's campaign leads to research grant

 

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) - When Chloe Marotta started her 'Rebounds For Research' campaign she had modest expectations.

"First night, I thought let's just do a $1,000 and we blew past $5,000 that first night," said Marotta.

It was all in honor of her father Marc, who passed away in 2015 from a brain aneurysm. The campaign reached $26,753 for the Brain Aneurysm Foundation in just three months based on her 94 rebounds this past season.

"People were awesome. Brought together with the community and wanted to make a change for me and my family and all the other people who wanted to suffer from brain aneurysms before," said Marotta.

As a result, there will be a chair of research grant in her father's name given out at the BAFs awards dinner in September. Her family will present the award.

"I'm looking forward to using my social media platform to spread awareness about symptoms and continue doing something for BAF," said Marotta. "I love the idea of being a great basketball player but as long as I can help the community in a sense as well is something that's more important to me and something now I've been teaching the girls I've been coaching."

Marotta has spent her first post college summer helping at Marquette men's and women's basketball summer camps and coaching with her brother Cam at their AAU basketball program, Club 52, named after their father. However, Chloe's own basketball career is not done yet.

"I am leaving for Budapest on September 1st," said Marotta.

In Budapest, she will suit up for BKG Prima in Hungary's A Division.

"Really looking forward to the cultural exchange I'll receive from this. Learning from many other people and my teammates and coaches," said Marotta.

Marotta says she looked around at many different leagues and chose this one after conversations with her new coach and getting advice from a former teammate in Lauren Van Kleunen, who just finished a professional season in Spain.

"It's a great league. This is their third year in the league so we're still pretty young, but we're excited about what's to come," said Marotta.