Event Surpasses Fundraising Goal
On a typically hot and humid Father’s Day, a not-so-typical celebration took place at Cantiague Park on June 20.
Fred K’s Cancer, a group founded by the Traveling Baseball Babes’ Serena Ahne and Lisa Leone, held a morning fundraiser walk to raise awareness for oral and testicular cancer awareness and commemorated the fathers who have been diagnosed with cancer.
“The event went extremely well. We raised $2,300 and even if we don’t raise another dollar, we’ve already surpassed our goal,” said Ahne, whose father was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2008 (Leone’s father was diagnosed with oral cancer in 2003).
Over 20 people attended the inaugural event and each participant received a T-shirt, water bottle, Fred K’s Cancer awareness pin, brochures, Oral Cancer Foundation and Sean Kimerling Testicular Foundation items, Avon samples and more.
“[The event] is extremely exciting for us and we’re going to continue to accept donations until July 1,” Ahne added.
Participants wore varying color-coordinated T-shirts, depending on the foundation they represented, which featured sewn baseball patches for each one. Nicole Giannakakis, the Fred K’s Cancer Avon Online Event coordinator, wore a shirt in support of her husband, Angelo, who was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2004.
Fred K’s Cancer and Avon teamed to support the Oral Cancer Foundation and Sean Kimerling Foundation by offering 5 percent of every purchase made on the Avon website (www.your avon.com /ngiannakakis) toward Fred K’s Cancer. Nicole Giannakakis will personally double the amount raised through Avon and donate it once the event has ended.
Tulip Bike Shop of Floral Park donated a men’s bicycle as the main raffle prize.
According to Ahne, the Fred K’s Cancer Committee “volunteered tons of support, ideas and performed a lot of the legwork to make this event possible,” and consisted of Michael Caruso (photography), Kaitlin Hoffman, Mary Gerolimatos, Nicole Giannakakis, Roberta Hirsch and Vita Zorbo.
Information regarding Fred K’s Cancer can be found at http://fredkscancer. blogspot.com/.
