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Lehman Township’s Community Day continues to grow

<p>NANTICOKE &#8212; Hundreds filled Quality Hill Park in Nanticoke on Saturday, having fun and pucking it out for a worthy cause.</p><p>Puck Cancer held its fifth annual fundraising event at the park Saturday, offering a foot-hockey tournament, basket and 50/50 raffles, games, children&#8217;s activities and more.</p><p>Proceeds from the event help the Medical Oncology Associates of Kingston Prescription Fund. The organization has raised roughly $13,000 for the fund since it began six years ago. This year, organizers are hoping to collect $10,000.</p><p>&#8220;And it&#8217;s possible, which is pretty awesome,&#8221; Lauren Myers said of the goal.</p><p>Myers and her husband, Shawn, began the organization with the help from Dr. Bruce Saidman of Medical Oncology Associates. Shawn grew up playing hockey with his friends at Quality Hill Park, so it made sense to bring the event back to where it all started, and include some type of hockey tournament.</p><p>&#8220;My husband&#8217;s mother passed away from cancer. She was a patient of Dr. Saidman&#8217;s at Medical Oncology, so it&#8217;s his way of giving back,&#8221; Lauren explained.</p><p>What started out as just a few players has grown into a much larger event, and the duo hopes it will get even bigger with time.</p><p>Fifteen teams of five players each battled with pucks and sticks on the tennis courts, vying to win their game and advance to the next round. Those crowned hockey champions earned a trophy.</p><p>Dave Warren, of Nanticoke, has been playing hockey for 10 years, and has participated in the event for the past three years. This year, he played on the team &#8220;Just the Tip.&#8221; While he enjoys the games, Warren said being supportive of the mission is what matters most.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s for a good cause. My buddy&#8217;s mom passed away from cancer, so he&#8217;s been doing this event to raise money for breast cancer, and you&#8217;ve got to contribute,&#8221; Warren said. &#8220;It&#8217;s about doing the right thing.&#8221;</p><p>This year&#8217;s game had a special importance to the team, however. On the back of their blue team shirts, &#8220;#AK4TheWin&#8221; was printed, which was a reference to Aaron Kreitzer. He&#8217;s a local 18-year-old who is battling leukemia.</p><p>Nearly 100 raffle baskets were donated, including everything from pet supplies to home goods and tailgate gear. Chances to win a gift card or free items from local restaurants and businesses were also available. Perhaps the most popular raffle was the &#8220;Wheelbarrow of Cheer,&#8221; which included a wheelbarrow full of various liquors to be raffled to one lucky winner.</p><p>As teams played on, attendees enjoyed picnic-style meals and desserts while children crowded a face-painting tent, bounce house and games. One game adults and children alike gathered around involved a very wet outcome for one willing volunteer.</p><p>Standing in front of the dunk tank, Ken Thompson took a ball and handed it over to his son, Christopher. Together, they tried to throw the ball at the round metal target and dunk the volunteer inside the tank. After a number of tries, neither hit the mark. But Thompson decided to try again, handing the ball over to Christopher one more time.</p><p>The 10-year-old baseball player finally hit the target.</p><p>Aside from dunking volunteers, the family also took time to visit and contribute to the memory board. Patrons were able to buy and decorate a ribbon in honor of someone who&#8217;s fought, passed away or survived from cancer.</p><p>Sitting under the food tent, Clem Krzynefski said he&#8217;s now seven years cancer-free. The Nanticoke resident had esophageal cancer, and attends Puck Cancer yearly.</p><p>&#8220;Very precious is every breath of air I take,&#8221; he said. &#8220;And I would do anything to help someone who had cancer. &#8230; I&#8217;d be right there for anyone who needed it.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Alex Silea, 6, of Larksville, and Jordan O&#8217;Kane, 11, of Kingston, play street hockey in the Quality Hill Park playground during the Puck Cancer event Saturday afternoon in Nanticoke. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/web1_PuckCancerCP.jpg</photo0><caption0>Alex Silea, 6, of Larksville, and Jordan O&#8217;Kane, 11, of Kingston, play street hockey in the Quality Hill Park playground during the Puck Cancer event Saturday afternoon in Nanticoke. </caption0><photoCredit0>Amanda Hrycyna | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/web1_ttl070917puckcancer-3-1-.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Event organizers Lauren and Shawn Myers hold up a trophy given to the winning teams of the Puck Cancer event. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/web1_ttl070917puckcancer-3-1-.jpg</photo1><caption1>Event organizers Lauren and Shawn Myers hold up a trophy given to the winning teams of the Puck Cancer event. </caption1><photoCredit1>Amanda Hrycyna | For Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/web1_ttl070917puckcancer-4-1-.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Clem Krzynefski, of Nanticoke, and grandson Ryder Bencho, 7, look at where they are going to stick a ribbon on the Puck Cancer memory board. The ribbon represented that Clem is a seven-year survivor of esophageal cancer. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/web1_ttl070917puckcancer-4-1-.jpg</photo2><caption2>Clem Krzynefski, of Nanticoke, and grandson Ryder Bencho, 7, look at where they are going to stick a ribbon on the Puck Cancer memory board. The ribbon represented that Clem is a seven-year survivor of esophageal cancer. </caption2><photoCredit2>Amanda Hrycyna | For Times Leader </photoCredit2></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Marcella Kester</p><p>For Times Leader</p></bylineMeta></div>

Puck Cancer event raises money to help patients