A Little Bit About Our Organization
Chucky’s Champions (Team Roach) was formed in 2011 and became a 501 (c) (3) in September 2013.
Our family formed the organization after battling leukemia not once, but twice, in a short time. Charles “Chucky” Szotak was diagnosed with Leukemia in 1982 at the age of 3. Despite his pain, he always smiled and was quite an inspiration to all of us. Shortly after being diagnosed, Chucky went into remission and we thought all was ok; unfortunately, this was not the case and he was taken from us at the very young age of 8.
In 1985, this awful killer struck our family again. This time Joseph “Joey” Roach was diagnosed, also at the age of 3. The outlook for Joey was not good, and he was given six months to live. Our family became frequent flyers in the Oncology ward of CHOP, visiting not one, but two of our babies daily. Joey went into remission and walks again for the third year in a row as a healthy survivor. He is someone to show all the babies going through it that there is hope.
Both of these boys endured physical and emotional pain that none of us could even imagine. The loss of Joey’s friends and Chucky while at CHOP has left many scars far worse than the physical ones for all the children that endure this. “Does God think he is a vacuum cleaner??” asked Joey shortly after Chucky’s passing. When asked why he stated “First he took my friends, and then he took Chucky, now he took my hair”
Chucky’s Champions participates in the Philadelphia “Light the Night” walk yearly for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Foundation as “TEAM ROACH”. Our 2nd year we were the #5 private fundraising organization. In our 3rd year we moved to #2 for Montgomery County.
We are holding a Beef and Beer benefit on September 29th 2017 at the Washington Fire Company in Conshohocken, PA. Flyer with details below. We are asking local companies to please help us raise money for this important research so that no other child or family endures the pain ours has over the years.
Please visit our Team Page for the Light The Night Walk to Donate by clicking the picture below. Any donations would be greatly appreciated and would be used to help fund the research to eliminate Leukemia & Lymphoma
Any donation is welcome whether monetary, good or services.
Please consider joining us on September 29th for out annual Beef & Beer. All Proceeds benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. We will have Raffles, 50-50, Over 45 Baskets to give away and a Silent Auction. Great Food, Music Dancing and all for a great cause.