Chiera foundation tees up with cancer initiative
Three months ago, Lou Chiera thought of a way to continue to help those battling cancer.
Chiera, who presides over the Chiera Family Foundation, annually has a two-day fundraising event with the proceeds going to the N.I.C.K. (Nothing is Impossible for Cancer Kids) charitable endeavor. At this year’s event, he announced the #PlayitForward initiative.
The Chiera foundation has raised more than $3.3 million over the past 23 years to provide summerand college-scholarship opportunities to area youth. The foundation was formed 23 years ago as a tribute to Lou’s father who passed away fromcancer.
“I came up with the #Playit- Forward concept and Bridgestone partnered with us to put the kids pictures on the outside of the sleeve of golf-ball packages,” Chiera said. Companies or country clubs can also put their logos on the opposite side of the packages for co-branding at other charity golf tournaments.
The foundation netted about $200,000 from this year’s event, which took place March 20 and 21, that started with a dinner auction at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino and then a golf tournament at the Parkland Golf and Country Club.
Lou Chiera’s father, Nicholas, was commissioner of the municipal recreation and parks department in White Plains, N.Y. The concept of sending young cancer patients to camp was born as a joint tribute to his commitment to helping children through recreation programs and to the battle he fought with cancer.
Chiera said while the idea is not a new one, the impetus of going on the foundation’s website, buying a dozen golf balls and sending them on to someone else is rather unique.
“The person that receives the balls then has to do the same thing,” Chiera said, “so it creates kind of an electronic chain letter – all helping kids with cancer. We sold about 120 dozen at the dinner in the first hour.”
Once the golf balls are purchased, recipients are asked to take a photo or video hitting a N.I.C.K.’s ball.
“The other cool thing is if you go to the site, you could have [the golf balls] sent to you on a monthly or quarterly basis,” Chiera said. “That way you are not running last minute to a sports store or paying a higher price at a golf pro shop.”
This year, 150 more children are expected to be sent to N.I.C.K’s Camp, a five-day sleep-away experience at Camp Boggy Creek in Eustis. Boggy Creek was built in 1996 at a cost of $23 million by actor/philanthropist Paul Newman and General H. Norman Schwarzkopf to create a free, safe and medically sound camp environment that enriches the lives of children with serious illnesses. Since opening, more than 62,000 seriously ill children and family members have had the opportunity to attend camp for free.
Chiera said his late father would be proud.
“I know my father is looking down,” Chiera said. “When we started it, we started it as a tribute to him since hewas a big parks and recreation guy. To see how big it has grown and to know it is in his name and that we have helped so many kids [through it] has been great.”
Last year, the Chiera Family Foundation partnered with First Tee of Broward to put 12 children who are undergoing chemotherapy through the camp program.
“They learn about life lessons, nutrition and exercise and they also learn howto play golf,” Chiera said. “It’s kind of a cool thing. It gives them something to do on the weekend after they have been going through chemo all week.”
For more information or to get involved with the Chiera Family Foundation, visit ChieraFamilyFoundation.org or call 800-344-0545 ext. 21.