“Kids Make a Difference.”
Cantilevers, camel spins and cherry-flips wowed the crowd when courageous members of the children’s group helped put the freeze on a killer by uniting for a Family Ice Skating and Carnival at Aviator Sports & Recreation Center to help raise funds for the Pediatric Cancer Foundation (PCF).
The youngsters %u2013 patients and survivors who belong to the group’s Brooklyn chapter %u2013 joined big-hearted boroughites for a day of fun on the National Hockey League-regulation sized rink in the Floyd Bennett Field complex, complete with gladiator-style games, an inflatable slide and bouncy castle, plus carnival games and prizes.
The benefit was the brainchild of moms Julianne Calisto and Denise Lamberto, who wanted their children to become involved in a philanthropic effort.
“Supporting the PCF and launching Kids Make a Difference seemed like a perfect fit,” said Lamberto, whose son is a survivor of Burkitt’s Lymphoma, a rare form of aggressive Non-Hodgkin lymphoma which affects children.
The committed pair established a network of local families whose children were battling cancer and formed the Kids Make a Difference group, hosting the first skating carnival in 2007.
Since that time, the fundraiser has grown from selling 350 tickets and raising $17,000 to now selling 500 tickets and raising nearly $30,000.
“It’s a day where families can come together to make a difference, have fun and celebrate life,” said Calisto.
For more information about Kids Make a Difference, contact Calisto at 646-621-6572, or Lamberto at 347-210-0749.
