A 13-year-old Boise boy who is battling cancer found a way this week to help other kids facing serious illnesses.

The boy put his family's tickets to the Boise State-Oregon football up for auction, raising money for the St. Luke's Children's Hospital School.

"I just think that's a pretty selfless act," said Hayley Welch, who has been the boy's teacher for the past year at St. Luke's.

"He's sitting here in so much pain, and he's not thinking of himself. He's thinking of other kids. He knows that money is going to benefit other children who are sick," said Welch, who choked back tears while talking about the boy Thursday night.

The boy, who wanted to remain anonymous, played football before he became ill last August. He's a huge fan of the Boise State Broncos and the New York Jets, Welch said.

Boise State University coach Chris Petersen and star player Ian Johnson tried to visit the boy at St. Luke's on Thursday, but he wasn't feeling well enough for visitors.

The boy's efforts have snowballed into a broader fund-raising drive that may help the boy realize his dream of creating a teen room at the hospital's school, a place where older kids can hang out, play video games and watch movies.

The four BSU-UO game tickets auctioned off on Mix106 Wednesday brought in $500 - but listeners to the radio show pledged another $1,360 to the hospital school, said Kate McGwire, co-host of the Mix106 morning show.

"The phones went nuts," McGwire said.

A family friend of the boy donated another $1,000 to the school fund, Welch said, bringing the total Thursday to about $2,860.

Late Thursday, McGwire said Global Travel had donated two more game tickets to be auctioned to benefit the school. They also donated two plane tickets and hotel accommodations for the Mix106 radio auction, which will run from 6 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Friday.

St. Luke's Children's Hospital School is the only school in Idaho dedicated to children who have illnesses or treatments that prevent them from attending traditional school.

Welch taught for 10 years in Meridian before coming to the hospital school last year.

The student, who loves to study science and watch the BSU Broncos play football, was Welch's first student at St. Luke's Children's Hospital School. She worked with him to complete 7th grade, and they'd barely begun 8th grade when he recently took a turn for the worse.

Welch is very proud him.

"He's paying it forward. He's giving back so that other kids can benefit the way he was able to benefit. Here, in his worst hour, he's thinking about other people and kids," she said.

Katy Moeller: 377-6413