Beverly Company Donates $500 to Cancer Fund in Memory of Danvers Girl

A Beverly company has awarded the Fitzgerald Cancer Fund of Danvers a $500 prize in a drawing designed to reward a non-profit with a mission of helping North Shore children.

Entertain New England ran the contest in late June into early July on its Facebook page, looking to give away the money to a not-for-profit group in good-standing, with its home office located in one of 13 North Shore communities and with a mission of helping local children in some way.

The Fitzgerald Cancer Fund was chosen from the entries by an online random name generator on July 11 at Atomic Cafe in Beverly.

Entertain New England founder John Dudley and his wife Alison, a local social worker, said they were “deeply touched” when they heard the story behind the Fitzgerald Cancer Fund and the family. Kezia Fitzgerald founded the Fitzgerald Cancer Fund after her first child, Saoirse, died from Neuroblastoma on Dec. 13, 2011, following a nine-month battle with the disease. The goal of the organization is to advance awareness for neuroblastoma and provide financial assistance to families with a child being treated for Neuroblastoma, plus fund research intended to develop non-toxic and less toxic treatments and trials to battle Neuroblastoma. Kezia, herself, continues to battle Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.

“Each day a parent gets to spend with his or her child in health is a miracle and a blessing, and a more deserving organization could not have been chosen,” said John Dudley.

A week after the Fitzgerald Cancer Fund was chosen for the prize, John and Alison Dudley with their infant daughter hand-delivered the prize to Kezia Fitzgerald, her husband Mike and their toddler son Lochlan.

As it turns out, Kezia Fitzgerald’s birthday was on the same day that they Cancer Fund was selected for the prize.