In the words of Megan Sukalski, “Jon Trasamar is the kind of friend you can always count on to pick up the phone if you ever need anything.”

And now Trasamar’s friends are reaching out to help him.

Last May, Trasamar, who graduated from Blue Earth Area High School in 2009, learned he had Melanoma. The cancer was found during what was supposed to be a routine visit to his doctor.

The cancerous spots were removed and a lymph node scan was negative.

Trasamar, who had just gotten married to his wife Allie in March of 2022, returned to his normal life with the knowledge he would be having regular scans to see if the cancer returned.

For Trasamar, that normal life meant heading to Maricopa, Arizona, and Q-School at the Southern Dunes Golf Course.

Q-School or Qualifying School is used for annual qualifying tournaments for leading golf tours such as the Professional Golf Association.

Unfortunately for Trasamar he did not qualify for the second stage of the tournament.

When the calendar rolled over to November, it was time for Trasamar to go in for another scan.

The results were not good.

The cancer had now spread to his ribs and his oncologist prescribed immunotherapy.

There were some encouraging signs after his treatment and things appeared to be moving in the right direction.

But, in February, Trasamar discovered blood in his urine and said he was not feeling well.

Further testing revealed the cancer had spread and was now in his spine, legs, liver and back.

Trasamar’s cancer has advanced to stage four and he is receiving care through the Mayo Clinic in Rochester.

And now, Trasamar’s high school friends have joined together to help raise funds for Jon and Allie to help pay the costs associated with his treatment. (See related article about the fundraiser.)

Sukalski, who also graduated from BEA and whose husband, Cody, was a teammate of Trasamar in basketball, says, “Jon is the type of guy you meet and you immediately like.”

Trasamar had a lot of success as a high school golfer for the Buccaneers where he won four Section titles. He finished as high as second place during his four trips to the Minnesota State High School League State Tournament. He was a five-time South Central Conference All-Conference selection.

“Even in high school, when Jon hit the ball it just sounded different,” his BEA golf coach, Steve Fernholz, says. “He always made sharp contact.”

As much as Fernholz admired the way Trasamar could hit a golf ball, there were other characteristics which left a deeper impression during the years Fernholz coached the young man.

“He wasn’t/isn’t boastful,” Fernholz comments. “He would always do his best when competing, and whatever the results were, he was going to walk away knowing he had done everything in his power to help the team.”

Fernholz shares Trasamar’s maturity as a young man also made him stand out.

“His maturity showed in the way he approached everything, whether it was practice, a meet or being with his friends,” Fernholz adds.

Fernholz recalls another unique quality the young man possesses.

“He knows everybody else’s score in a foursome. He remembers every hole on every golf course and how he played it three years ago,” Fernholz notes.

Trasamar was recruited and signed to play golf for the University of Minnesota, where he helped lead them to a Big 10 Team Title during his senior year.

The golf course is not the only sports arena where Trasamar has made his mark.

“Halfway through Jon’s sophomore year we had to bring him up to the varsity basketball squad out of necessity,” Gary Holmseth, BEA’s basketball coach at the time, says. “He did not just fill in, he became an asset to the team.”

Following his junior season in basketball, Trasamar received honorable mention honors from the South Central Conference.

“He was so smart and so composed when he played,” Holmseth shared. “He was quite skilled, both inside and outside. He made the offense better.”

Trasamar chose not to play basketball his senior year so he could work with the University of Minnesota golf coaches on revamping his golf swing.

“Obviously, I was disappointed not to have him on the basketball squad,” Holmseth says. “By the same token, I admired him as someone who was disciplined enough to put in the hard work he needed to improve. Think about that – he was already a really good golfer and yet he strived to get better. He is a very humble man.”

Sukalski sums up her feelings about her high school friend.

“You know, Jon is always there to support others who are around him and to delight in their accomplishments,” she comments. “We want to gather together to support Jon the way he has always supported us.”

Trasamar has other friends and family members who are aiding in fundraising efforts for the young couple.

A GoFundMe page has been started with a goal of raising $150,000. As of March 15, $129,740 has been raised.

The GoFundMe page can be found at www.gofundme.com/f/jon-allie-trasamar