Joey Mazzucco, the Boy with the Fedora

When he was seven, Joey Mazzucco’s life was turned upside down by cancer. At an age when play is a child’s biggest concern, Joey was placed at the foot of an ominous mountain and told to climb. It was a demanding trek, but Joey refused to judge the journey as a tragedy. There was no time for self-pity, no use in lamenting. He donned his favourite fedora, embraced the power of optimism and climbed. Why? Because there was simply no other choice.

When Joey’s right shoulder began shooting with pain in the summer of 2009, a torn rotator cuff was thought to be the source. A visit to the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), however, revealed the tumour causing his duress, and Joey was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of bone cancer. Read more

Rally for Kids with Cancer

Arguably one of Toronto’s most action-packed fundraisers hit the city streets this September, raising more than $3 million for the SickKids Foundation. The fourth annual Rally for Kids with Cancer Scavenger Cup’s honorary co-chairs were rocker Gene Simmons and wife Shannon Tweed. “Let’s not lose sight of the fact that although this is all glitz and glamour that it really is about kids who are suffering badly, immensely with cancer, and we should all do our parts,” says Simmons. Read more