As many of you know, I owe a great deal to Roswell Park Cancer Hospital and to Make-A Wish WNY.  This picture would not be if it weren't for them.  In 2002, my son, Jonathan, was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma.  He was 13 years old.  It put my family in a tailspin that, unless you have experienced it, is unimaginable.  The Medical professionals at Roswell Park saved his life. The family went through a tremendous amount of stress.  My personal stress relief was skating with my brothers at Hamburg Olde Time Hockey.  My wife, Peg, and I did our best to keep a normal life for Sarah and Kaitlyn while we went through this time.  My amazing wife did an incredible job of keeping things "normal".  However, the family unit was stressed to the max.  We saw other kids and their families go throught the same ordeal.  We prayed for all of them and realized we were very lucky.  When Jonathan got through his treatment he was found to be cancer free.  Make-A-Wish then provided us with a way to provide closure on this chapter and reunite our family better and stronger than we were before.  So, you see, I owe Roswell Park and Make-A-Wish a great debt.  Shortly after Jonathan recovered, my Sisiter-in-law sucumbed to cancer.  We all have been touched.  We need to beat this.  I am joining this dedicated group and hoping to raise funds so that other families can get the help they need.  Please donate what you can.  I thank you.

This summer, more than 2,500 pairs of skates will hit the ice to play in the 2019 11 Day Power Play Community Shift to help in the fight against cancer! The 11-day game will be played in continuous shifts at Harborcenter in Buffalo, NY. This important event supports The 11 Day Power Play, raising critically-needed funds for cancer research and wellness programs at Roswell Park, Camp Good Days and Make-A-Wish WNY. While it is physically challenging to play in a marathon hockey game, it's a walk in the park compared to what most endure in their battle against cancer. Cancer is a disease that touches everyone, and The 11 Day Power Play wants to make an impact in our community. In the past two years, The 11 Day Power Play has raised nearly $2.5 million supporting cancer causes in Western New York.

Donations are graciously accepted online or by check. Please write checks out to 'The 11 Day Power Play' and send to PO Box 4, Buffalo, NY 14223. If you are interested in a sponsorship, contact Sara Schumacher today.

To learn more about the 11 Day Power Play organization, visit www.11daypowerplay.com and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.