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Darryl Danko takes early lead but loses car at Giants Despair Hillclimb

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DEP plans booth at Monday market in Wilkes-Barre

<p>NANTICOKE &#8212; For the first time in its six-year history, everything at the Puck Cancer fundraiser was provided through donations or sponsorships, allowing all of Saturday&#8217;s proceeds to go directly to benefit cancer patients.</p><p>Shawn and Lauren Myers created the event at Quality Hill Park in tribute of Shawn&#8217;s mother, who died of cancer in 2011. The organization raises money for the Prescription Fund at Medical Oncology Associates of Kingston, where she was a patient.</p><p>Since its implementation, Puck Cancer has raised over $21,000, and it was aiming to double that number this year.</p><p>&#8220;Last year our hope was 10 (thousand), we ended up with 12. So this year we&#8217;re really hoping for $20,000,&#8221; Lauren said.</p><p>&#8220;So every little penny that walks through this door is ours to donate,&#8221; she explained.</p><p>Shawn grew up playing street hockey with his friends at Quality Hill Park, so it made sense to incorporate some type of hockey tournament into the fundraiser.</p><p>The event also featured plenty of food, kids&#8217; games, a bounce house and more than 130 raffle baskets. The most popular raffle offered some Disney passes.</p><p>The Myerses were contacted by a Florida-based man, Chris, who heard about Puck Cancer through a mutual friend. Losing his own daughter, Sarah, to brain cancer in the fall, he felt compelled to help the organization.</p><p>Through their employers, he and his wife were able to donate some two-day passes to any Disney site, as well as offer deeply discounted rates to hotels around the park.</p><p>Myers added that another anonymous Florida resident made a massive contribution Saturday morning.</p><p>&#8220;We had a random $1,000 donation come through last night from someone in Florida,&#8221; Shawn said.</p><p><strong>Seeing the benefits</strong></p><p>Joseph Provenzano was enjoying the day with his daughter, Jule.</p><p>The Kingston resident was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in September, becoming a patient at the cancer center.</p><p>&#8220;Fast-forward to November, my company laid me off when they found out I had cancer,&#8221; he said.</p><p>Provenzano was introduced to Puck Cancer, who provided him with gift cards and funded some of his medicine through the prescription fund.</p><p>After Puck Cancer helped Provenzano, daughter Jule decided it was time to return the favor. She used Puck Cancer as a base for her senior project, selling bracelets and shirts.</p><p>&#8220;She raised $1,000 towards Puck Cancer,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Although cancer is a bad situation, the way things happened &#8212; meeting the people that I met along this road was huge for me.&#8221;</p><p>Today, Provenzano is happy to report his latest blood tests have shown no traces of cancer in his body.</p><p>Like Provenzano, Nanticoke resident Kyle Hoover has personally reaped the benefits of the local organization. Hoover was diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer two years ago, and Puck Cancer has assisted him through the prescription fund.</p><p>Hoover attended the event last year, and is happy to see how much it&#8217;s grown in a single year.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s wonderful to have the community here. You don&#8217;t really ever think about the community helping you until you see something like this, and you realize your community&#8217;s behind your back and they help you as much as they can.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">The Blue Barracudas team plays in Saturday&#8217;s street hockey tournament at Quality Hill Park in Nanticoke during the Puck Cancer event. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/web1_DSC_1113-1-.jpg</photo0><caption0>The Blue Barracudas team plays in Saturday&#8217;s street hockey tournament at Quality Hill Park in Nanticoke during the Puck Cancer event. </caption0><photoCredit0>Stephanie Grega | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/web1_DSC_1009.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Siblings Harper, left, and Brayden Storosko have fun in the bounce house at Quality Hill Park during the Puck Cancer fundraiser on Saturday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/web1_DSC_1009.jpg</photo1><caption1>Siblings Harper, left, and Brayden Storosko have fun in the bounce house at Quality Hill Park during the Puck Cancer fundraiser on Saturday. </caption1><photoCredit1>Stephanie Grega | For Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/web1_DSC_0947.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Abby Cullen and Tyler Rushton play soccer in the park during Saturday&#8217;s Puck Cancer festivities. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/web1_DSC_0947.jpg</photo2><caption2>Abby Cullen and Tyler Rushton play soccer in the park during Saturday&#8217;s Puck Cancer festivities. </caption2><photoCredit2>Stephanie Grega | For Times Leader </photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/web1_DSC_1049.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Autumn Konetski plays a Plinko-type game at Saturday&#8217;s Puck Cancer fundraiser in Nanticoke. Organizers were hoping to raise $20,000 this year to help local cancer patients. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/web1_DSC_1049.jpg</photo3><caption3>Autumn Konetski plays a Plinko-type game at Saturday&#8217;s Puck Cancer fundraiser in Nanticoke. Organizers were hoping to raise $20,000 this year to help local cancer patients. </caption3><photoCredit3>Stephanie Grega | For Times Leader </photoCredit3></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Marcella Kester</p><p>For Times Leader</p></bylineMeta></div>

Puck Cancer event in Nanticoke raises money to help patients