BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — A nonprofit committed to raising funds for cancer research made a very special announcement Monday to further its mission.
The 11 Day Power Play has announced the Petey Fund to benefit nonprofit organizations supporting cancer patients and families in Western New York.
Starting this year, the 11 Day Power Play plans to annually present an $11,000 reward to one nonprofit to support a smaller organization that shares a similar cancer-fighting mission.
"It takes a community to fight cancer and if we can add another organization to our list of being able to support them, cancer wellness programs are truly important and an $11,000 gift to some of these organizations locally is a large gift for them. We hope that that will get them to saving more lives, providing care support to families that are battling cancer in our Western New York community," 11-Day Power Play co-founder and executive director Amy Lesakowski said.
Meghan Benimoff's son Desmond, was diagnosed with leukemia in January 2019.
Unfortunately, he relapsed this past November.
He is now waiting on a bone marrow transplant this month.
His mother told 7 News' Pheben Kassahun she could not be more thankful to have these cancer-fighting organizations right in our backyard.
Meghan Benimoff shared, "We've been a part of Camp Good Days and Make A Wish since Desmond was five years old. The amount of things that they do for the children in the community is overwhelming."
In May 2020, WKBW featured Desmond as he celebrated his birthday COVID-style.
A link to Desmond's GoFundMe page, which was created in November 2023, can be found here.
Applications will be accepted Tuesday, February 6 through March 30.
To be eligible, applicants must be a classified 501(c)3 nonprofit and be established for at least the last five years.
The winner will be chosen based on how they plan to use the funds, supporting programming and/or services benefiting cancer patients and their families best or anything aligned with the 11 Day Power Play's mission.
More than $10M has been raised by the 11 Day Power Play.
Each year, the nonprofit hosts thousands of participating hockey players at the LECOM Harborcenter to play for 11 straight days in the hopes of scoring big time, in a fundraiser to fight cancer.
