Friends and family of 15-year old Nick Polo banded together in just one month to organize a fundraiser at on his behalf.
Polo, a Wantagh resident and sophomore at in South Huntington, was diagnosed with an aggressive case of brain cancer this past June. When Wantagh Football Club co-founder Peter Brasile heard of his illness, he reached out to the Polo family to help.
"I was very involved with his original medical situation, not even thinking about a fundraiser, when Pete suggested this about a month ago," said Jim Polo, Nick's uncle. "We had a meeting at Mulcahy's right away and they were terrific. We've sold about 500 tickets so far."
When meeting with Mulcahy's, organizers from the Wantagh venue suggested the family contact the , a local charity dedicated to helping sick and underprivileged children. Polo said the Theissen organization has been nothing but a blessing and really brought the upcoming event to life.
"The foundation has been unbelievable," Polo said. "John Theissen and his wife are terrific people, they're really saints on earth."
Friday's event will kickoff at 7 p.m. with a live DJ, dinner buffet, Chinese raffle and live auction for $25 at the door.
"We're hoping for two things with this fundraiser," Polo explained. "One, we want to give his family some relief from a very stressful period of time. Having all their friends and neighbors and loved ones in one spot will be an extraordinary act of support. Secondly, everybody knows when you're really sick, there's an awful lot of bills that have to be covered. We're hoping to fray the costs of Nick's care."
For tickets, contact Jim Polo at 516-510-3529. Admission can also be purchased Friday at the door.
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