Locals from the community gathered together yesterday in support of the second annual "Hops for Hope" by the Michael Napoleone Memorial Foundation to raise money for pediatric cancer.

The Foundation was established in 2007, in memory of Michael C. Napoleone, the 8-year-old son of Mark and Laurie Napoleone from Batavia, who died from Burkitt’s Lymphoma/Leukemia, an aggressive form of blood cancer.

Laurie thanked the crowd for coming to support the fundraiser event and also added "moments change very rapidly as ours did in 2005, surround yourself with good people, you continue to move forward despite the many challenges life gives you."

She continued to speak of what the foundation has contributed since it's inception. More than $436,000 has helped hundreds of local families, $90,000 has been contributed to research, $68,000 were donated to youth grants. Golisano Children's Hospital has two hospital rooms from the charity totaling $50,000 and locally in Batavia at UMMC Rochester Regional Health was given $25,000 for a new ICU pediatric room that is tenatively scheduled to be completed in 2021.

The event was held at Eli Fish Brewing Company, cost was $15 per person and included many food stations along with basket raffles, a Yeti cooler, foundation glass raffle, a live band and a cornhole tournament.  

The foundation next big event is May 2nd -- the 2020 Derby Day Gala held at Terry Hills Golf Course, Restaurant and Banquet Facility at 4 p.m.

Above is the Michael Napoleone Memorial Foundation Board.

The Ohms band

Health Academy Students from Laurie Napoleone's class

In response to Assembly Bill 1413, which outlaws firearms as prizes in games of chance, Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) has vocally opposed this legislation as another example of Downstate government overreach.

Firearm raffles are an important source of funding for community activities and many local organizations, specifically fire departments, use the funds generated by these raffles to support the department and purchase equipment used to protect the community.

The legislation is authored by Jo Anne Simon, a Democrat from Brooklyn and sponsored by over a dozen New York City Democrats.  

“The widening disconnect between Downstate politicians and Upstate matters is alarming,” Hawley said. “It is the not the place of legislators in New York City to determine laws that significantly affect upstate affairs.

"Law-abiding gun owners have been subjected to increased regulations and harmful laws that blatantly violate their Second Amendment rights, and banning firearms as raffle prizes is yet another example.”

The standards of gun ownership do not change whether it’s purchased from a licensed dealer or won in a raffle. In order to claim possession, one must still pass the background checks and have the necessary permits. 

“Gun ownership is a proud and storied tradition in Western New York,” Hawley said. “It is not the business of city legislators to infringe on your constitutional rights and ultimately hurt our local charitable organizations.”