About a year ago, Matthew Mondoux passed through the area on foot while donning a Lou Gehrig uniform en route from Grand Island to Yankee Stadium to raise funds and awareness for Lou Gehrig’s disease.
Last Wednesday and Thursday, another Matthew donned a Babe Ruth uniform and passed through the Dansville area on rollerblades from Grand Island to Yankee Stadium to raise awareness and funds for Roswell Park Cancer Institute.
Matthew Schreiner, 25, decided it was his turn to take a stand against a deadly disease much like the way his friend Mondoux had done. Schreiner’s father was diagnosed with lymphoma in the fall of 2009. The following spring, he went into remission.
“He went from a 10 percent chance of living, to a 10 percent chance of the cancer ever coming back,” Schreiner said.
Although his father’s recent experience with cancer had a happy ending, Schreiner’s friend Jeff Caruana, also from Grand Island, passed away from esophagus cancer in July at age 39, leaving behind a wife and two small children.
“My father was the one who inspired it, and this just added to it,” Schreiner said.
Not only did Schreiner wear the uniform of a Yankee great who died from the same disease he is fighting against like Mondoux had, he also put on Mondoux’s Yankee baseball cap for the trip.
The cap was not only symbolic because it made the same route through New York that Mondoux made, but it also toured Afghanistan with Mondoux, who served with the Army National Guard.
Both Mondoux and Schreiner, when each passed through the area, met with Sgt. Devin Snyder’s mother to pay their respects. Schreiner wore a Devin Snyder memorial bracelet during his trip, the same one that Mondoux wore last year. Schreiner also wore a memorial bracelet for Caruana.
Schreiner has been accompanied on this journey with his grandfather, Robert Rodgers, who drove close behind in a support vehicle. Also, Schreiner’s sister and girlfriend have met up and walked portions of the journey with him in support of his cause.
Schreiner expects to arrive at Yankee Stadium on Sept. 14, which is a game day against Tampa Bay Rays. Whether there will be any fanfare for his arrival is unknown.
There was, however, an official sendoff at 8 a.m. on Sept. 4 in front of Roswell Park Cancer Institute. He arrived discreetly in Dansville the next day. He headed south through Wayland and Cohocton the following day.
To make a donation and help Schreiner make his half-million dollar goal for Roswell Park, go to www.goingforlife2012.kintera.org.
About a year ago, Matthew Mondoux passed through the area on foot while donning a Lou Gehrig uniform en route from Grand Island to Yankee Stadium to raise funds and awareness for Lou Gehrig’s disease.
Last Wednesday and Thursday, another Matthew donned a Babe Ruth uniform and passed through the Dansville area on rollerblades from Grand Island to Yankee Stadium to raise awareness and funds for Roswell Park Cancer Institute.
Matthew Schreiner, 25, decided it was his turn to take a stand against a deadly disease much like the way his friend Mondoux had done. Schreiner’s father was diagnosed with lymphoma in the fall of 2009. The following spring, he went into remission.
“He went from a 10 percent chance of living, to a 10 percent chance of the cancer ever coming back,” Schreiner said.
Although his father’s recent experience with cancer had a happy ending, Schreiner’s friend Jeff Caruana, also from Grand Island, passed away from esophagus cancer in July at age 39, leaving behind a wife and two small children.
“My father was the one who inspired it, and this just added to it,” Schreiner said.
Not only did Schreiner wear the uniform of a Yankee great who died from the same disease he is fighting against like Mondoux had, he also put on Mondoux’s Yankee baseball cap for the trip.
The cap was not only symbolic because it made the same route through New York that Mondoux made, but it also toured Afghanistan with Mondoux, who served with the Army National Guard.
Both Mondoux and Schreiner, when each passed through the area, met with Sgt. Devin Snyder’s mother to pay their respects. Schreiner wore a Devin Snyder memorial bracelet during his trip, the same one that Mondoux wore last year. Schreiner also wore a memorial bracelet for Caruana.
Schreiner has been accompanied on this journey with his grandfather, Robert Rodgers, who drove close behind in a support vehicle. Also, Schreiner’s sister and girlfriend have met up and walked portions of the journey with him in support of his cause.
Schreiner expects to arrive at Yankee Stadium on Sept. 14, which is a game day against Tampa Bay Rays. Whether there will be any fanfare for his arrival is unknown.
There was, however, an official sendoff at 8 a.m. on Sept. 4 in front of Roswell Park Cancer Institute. He arrived discreetly in Dansville the next day. He headed south through Wayland and Cohocton the following day.
To make a donation and help Schreiner make his half-million dollar goal for Roswell Park, go to www.goingforlife2012.kintera.org.
