It started as a joke
Hopping 4 A Cure began with a joke. In October 2010, two juniors at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., saw a Facebook event about “suiting up” like Barney Stinson from How I Met Your Mother. They put on suits, told friends they were dressing for success, and declared themselves the school’s first varsity hopscotchers.
The joke had a reason behind it. Co-founder David Nassau’s father has lived with Multiple Sclerosis since David was in elementary school. David and his friend Gary Wexler wrote their own competitive hopscotch rules, and with David’s mother, Marla Jaffe, they turned them into the first Hopping 4 A Cure Hopscotch Tournament on Jan. 21, 2011.
The tournament grew into the Recess Olympics, a field day-style fundraiser where players of all ages compete in classic playground games. Before the pandemic paused in-person events in 2020, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit had grown to more than 10 chapters in communities and on college campuses nationwide.
On Nov. 15, 2026, Hopping 4 A Cure returns to South Florida with Recess Olympics South Florida at Clive Daniel Home in Boca Raton, splitting proceeds 50/50 with the Arielle Anacker Cancer Foundation to fight childhood cancer.
Timeline
Two Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School juniors, David Nassau and Gary Wexler, put on suits, inspired by the “Suit up!” catchphrase from How I Met Your Mother, and declare themselves their school’s first varsity hopscotchers.
David, Gary and David’s mother, Marla Jaffe, host the first Hopping 4 A Cure Hopscotch Tournament, for Multiple Sclerosis.
Hopping 4 A Cure grows to more than 10 chapters in communities and on college campuses nationwide and awards college scholarships to students affected by MS.
The pandemic pauses in-person events.
Recess Olympics South Florida returns to Boca Raton, with proceeds split 50/50 with the Arielle Anacker Cancer Foundation.
Press release · for immediate release
Hopping 4 A Cure Returns to South Florida, Bringing the Recess Olympics to Boca Raton for Multiple Sclerosis and Childhood Cancer
Two Coral Springs teens turned a sitcom joke into a fundraiser for a dad living with MS. Sixteen years later, Hopping 4 A Cure® and the Arielle Anacker Cancer Foundation® invite players of all ages and abilities to sign up and fundraise for MS and childhood cancer.
BOCA RATON, Fla. (Oct. 27, 2026) — Hopping 4 A Cure, the Boca Raton nonprofit that turned hopscotch into a fundraiser for Multiple Sclerosis (MS), will host the Recess Olympics South Florida on Sunday, Nov. 15, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Clive Daniel Home, 1351 NW Boca Raton Blvd. Players of all ages and abilities will compete in hopscotch, four square, jump rope, and other recess activities. Proceeds will be split 50/50 with the Arielle Anacker Cancer Foundation to fight childhood cancer.
It started as a joke. On Oct. 13, 2010, inspired by the “Suit up!” catchphrase Neil Patrick Harris made famous on the TV show How I Met Your Mother, two juniors at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland put on suits and declared themselves their school’s first varsity hopscotchers. Three months later, Hopping 4 A Cure was born. Co-founder David Nassau’s father has lived with MS since David was in elementary school. On Jan. 21, 2011, David, his friend Gary Wexler and David’s mother, Marla Jaffe, hosted the first Hopping 4 A Cure Hopscotch Tournament.
The 501(c)(3) nonprofit grew to more than 10 chapters in communities and college campuses nationwide. Nov. 15 marks its return to South Florida.
“We were 16, saw an event on Facebook about suiting up like Barney Stinson and thought it would be funny to do it and tell our friends we were dressing for success for our first Hopscotch Tournament,” said David Nassau, co-founder of Hopping 4 A Cure, who made up new rules for competitive hopscotch with his friend and fellow co-founder, Gary Wexler. “Gary and I realized our made-up rules were fun and competitive enough for anyone to play. We couldn’t cure my dad’s MS, so we did the next best thing. We got people together to hop for a cure, and raise money to help other families like mine along the way.”
The Recess Olympics is a field day-style fundraiser where players of all ages compete in classic playground games to raise money for people living with MS and other causes, organized by Hopping 4 A Cure. Recess Olympians compete across a variety of recess and field day competitions, including four square, hula hoop and jump rope building to the signature Hopscotch Tournament. The Hopscotch Tournament features four competitions including Speed, Endurance, a head-to-head Challenge bracket, and EXTREME Hopscotch, featuring a team-based obstacle course and relay race built for people of all abilities.
The Arielle Anacker Cancer Foundation helps families of children with cancer pay their bills and funds Ewing’s sarcoma research.
“When a child has cancer, the bills don’t stop,” said Diane Trivelli, founder and president of the Arielle Anacker Cancer Foundation. “Every hop for a cure Nov. 15 helps families keep the lights on while their child fights every day.”
Hopping 4 A Cure funds college scholarships for students affected by MS, caregiver support and alternative medical research. The goal is at least one scholarship for a South Florida student this year. “MS doesn’t take a day off, and neither do the families caring for someone with it,” said Marla Jaffe, president of Hopping 4 A Cure. “For three hours on Nov. 15, we get to give them a reason to play and hop in the hope of a cure. You can walk, you can run, you can bike, but can you hop?”
Sign up, start a team and fundraise. Registration is $20 per player at recessolympics.org/register. Every player gets a personal fundraising page to share with friends, family and coworkers. Schools, clubs and companies can create teams. Students can earn community service hours by volunteering. Sponsorships start at $100 at recessolympics.org/donate.
Media opportunities: Visuals all day: chalk hopscotch grids, a wheelchair sprint relay and kids versus adults at four square. David Nassau and Marla Jaffe are available for interviews before and on event day, at the venue. Photos from past events are available on request.
About Hopping 4 A Cure, Inc.
Hopping 4 A Cure® is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN 45-4943526) based in Boca Raton, Florida. It was founded in 2010 by Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students David Nassau and Gary Wexler. It runs the Recess Olympics and Hopscotch Tournaments that raise money for people and families living with Multiple Sclerosis. It funds college scholarships, caregiver support and alternative medical research. Learn more at recessolympics.org.
About the Arielle Anacker Cancer Foundation, Inc.
The Arielle Anacker Cancer Foundation helps families of children with cancer pay their bills and supports Ewing’s sarcoma research. Learn more at arielleanackercf.org.
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