CancerFightClub Knockout!!! An evening to remember!
May 13, 2013
By: Damla Onol
Saturday, May 4th, marked the date of the much-awaited event: CancerFightClub Knockout!!! This event was aimed at financing our web site, that we have all come to love, whose mission is to provide support to the community of young adults affected by cancer.
It can be quite the challenge to ask for donations from a group of individuals who are not necessarily familiar with the cancer world. Despite that, the event was sold out! All the tickets were sold, there were over 600 generous people who came out to support the cause, and more than 150 000$ raised! A real success! Around 20 courageous amateur boxers volunteered to take part and fight in the ring for mini-rounds lasting 3 minutes each. This was the first time that I was witness to a boxing match from so close, and I have now decided that I must see, at least once in my life, a full-on professional boxing match!
Here’s an overview of this amazing evening: when I arrived, I saw the boxing ring right in the middle of the banquet hall. It was special little details like this one that made this event truly unforgettable. Over ten stands with absolutely exquisite food lined the walls: from Asian and French appetizers and sushi, to chicken wings and smoked meat sandwiches, “roll-up” pizzas, popcorn, and jujubes! The party atmosphere was perfect – between the boxing matches we were accompanied by music from talented local DJs. Really exciting was the event’s special guest: Otis Grant! It really was an evening to remember… I’m not exaggerating! I could go on and on about it, but I want to be sure to use the space I have left to express our gratitude to all those who made this event possible, and contributed to its success.
As Content Manager for CancerFightClub, and on behalf of our whole team, I first and foremost want to thank Hope & Cope for believing in this initiative and for having founded this website dedicated to the community of young adults dealing with cancer. A thousand thanks, too, to Scott Adams, our friend, boss, and even sometimes our brother, without whom this website would simply not be. Thanks also to all of the sponsors who made this incredible event possible. Your presence and support are so appreciated, and will always be precious to us. Finally, a huge thank you to all of the boxers who showed us they weren’t afraid of taking a hit in order to fight the fright of cancer: Arnold Fox, Chaim Edelstein, David Elfassy, David Sigal, David Wiseman, Diana Salvati Fellen, Eric Ladenheim, Jeffrey Burt, JJ Maislin, Justin Klumak, Lloyd Feldman, Marc Kimmel, Martin Robitaille, Michael Witt, Richard Frishman, Robert Hirscheimer, Robert Mendel, Sandrine Lavallée, Stacy Slelinowski, Val Wiseman and Otis Grant!