This resonated deeply with me when I read these words and learned about what Candlelighters NYC does for kids and their families. Raising two kids as my own, it made me think about how incredibly challenging it must be for the parents, and especially the kids who are fighting cancer. They don’t get to be normal kids while they are being treated. They don’t get to be with their friends while they go through recovery. They don’t get to be just kids.

So how could I not sign up with Haymakers for Hope to get in the ring and fight to KO Cancer? How could I not spend the next four months pouring everything I have into training for this event knowing that each dollar I raise during my training goes to Candlelighters NYC to support amazing children and their families so that these kids who are fighting cancer can just be kids?

Candlelighters NYC helps kids fighting cancer and their families. Kids from all over the world come to NYC to receive the best pediatric cancer treatment available. Candlelighters NYC assists through all stages: discover, diagnosis, treatment, and remission. They provide an emotional support system full of love and comfort while they are so far away from home. They add quality of life to children with cancer by providing them with a fun, positive atmosphere to help them feel normal in a situation that is so far from that. Candlelighters NYC becomes their New York City family so that they can just be kids. http://candlelightersnyc.org/

I fight for the kids and parents who are fighting their own fight with cancer to show them that they do not have to fight alone.

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Haymakers for Hope’s mission is to knockout cancer the only way we know how, by literally fighting for a cure. We give everyday men and women the opportunity to fight back against this terrible disease by training for, and competing in charity boxing events to raise money and awareness. To prepare for each event, we combine the efforts of the first time amateur boxing participants, local boxing gyms and volunteers. We hope to help give life saving researchers the resources needed to fully focus their efforts on finding a cure.