They put a bullseye on pancreatic cancer!
Gerritsen Beachers aimed right for the heart of the dart board during the fourth-annual Shooting for a Cause Dart Tournament — in memory of Melissa Marchese Dougherty — to raise money for the fight against pancreatic cancer at the Knights of Columbus on June 17.
The group raised about $3,000 for the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research, but the game was also a fun way for the community to come together and support all those fighting the deadly disease, said Jim Marchese, who started the tournament in memory of his sister, who died from the silent killer 10 years ago.
“Gerritsen Beach is a very small community, everyone knows everybody, everyone comes out,” said Jim Marchese. “It feels good.”
The Marchese family, which grew up in the neighborhood, also organized a raffle for prizes donated by local stores and families to go along with the dart tournament. The event usually draws a large crowd, and it just goes to show how many people in the community are struggling with the same thing, said Jim’s sister Christine Marchese.
“That’s where we grew up. My sister, and there are quite a few people in Gerritsen Beach that have been affected by this horrible cancer, that’s why I think a lot of people do come out for it,” she said. “Everybody supports everybody, it’s really nice to see everybody show up.”
