U.S — A fundraiser was held on Saturday by the family of a suburban swimmer who lost his battle with juvenile cancer. The family wanted to both pay tribute to their son’s memory and encourage people to join the fight against pediatric illness. Kevin Boeckenhauer was a student at Lake Park High School when he received the news that he had Ewing’s Sarcoma, an extremely uncommon form of childhood bone cancer. Seven years later, in 2019, he passed away.
A swim party fundraiser was held at the Seasons Four pool in Roselle. It was organized by the Kevin Boeckenhauer Family Foundation with the intention of one day assisting medical professionals in the search for a treatment for Ewing’s Sarcoma.
Jean, Kevin’s mother, reflected on her son’s life by saying, “Our son Kevin had such a giving spirit. He was just a little bit of a goofball, but he had the best heart you’d see in your life.” “We thought that this was a good way to continue to have him pay it forward.” The Boeckenhauer family’s goal is to raise $25,000 per year to put toward supporting research into childhood cancer.
“Kevin made such an impact in the community in such a short period of time,” said Tom, Kevin’s father. “Every year, the sheer number of people who come utterly overwhelms us. The amount of support we get from friends, family, and the community is simply another indication of how much of an influence he had and how many lives he impacted during his life. Visit the website of the charitable organization if you are interested in learning more about how you may contribute.
