Windham Helps Make Milestone Year For Pediatric Cancer Awareness

WINDHAM, NH — New Englanders with Project Blackout have played a big role in making 2023 a successful year for pediatric cancer activism.

The nonprofit, dedicated to raising awareness for the disease in local communities through athletics and grassroots events, announced Friday that its efforts this year created a new benchmark for its annual drive for awareness.

Started in honor of Cole Stoddard — who died of neuroblastoma at the age of five in 2012 — Project Blackout drove awareness this year across more than 30 schools and towns and raised over $100,000 driven by four primary school communities — Bishop Guertin in Nashua and Malden Catholic in Malden, Massachussetts, Pelham, and Windham.

"Together, we honored children currently in treatment, children living in remission, children who passed away much too soon, their families, and all who join together in the push toward a cure for childhood cancers, and all types of cancers," Bill Raycraft, Project Blackout Board Member and Malden Catholic Athletic Director said in a news release Friday.

The nonprofit noted that 4,500 of their 2023 Blackout T-shirts reached school communities, becoming "a powerful symbol of unity, spirit and support."

In addition to the hallmark Blackout football games, all participating school communities expanded activities to multiple high school sports teams, and other youth sports programs — all while donning special jerseys, gold socks, and branded eye black.

"You helped us draw attention to our cause across so many other towns and communities and showed us all the true meaning of team," the organization wrote.

After its most successful year yet, Project Blackout has now raised more than $370,000 for pediatric cancer awareness, research, and support since its inception — with its primary fundraising drive being the T-shirts.

Project Blackout donates proceeds from T-shirt sales, online donations, and events to support pediatric cancer research at Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock (CHaD), and participating communities can also choose local charities.

This year, Windham has been a leader among participating communities, according to the organization.

"Windham continues to set the pace for participating communities through a jam-packed week of events and promotional fundraisers at businesses throughout the town, as well as games, matches, and races spanning a large cross-section of sports and ages," Project Blackout wrote.

They even added an inaugural flag-raising ceremony of its new pediatric cancer awareness flag at the A.J. Letizio Enterprise Center this year.

"Children impacted by cancer deserve more research funding, attention, and support than they currently get," Erica Camilo DiNitto, Project Blackout Board President and Windham Resident, wrote in Friday's news release. "Project Blackout games across the region unite athletes, school communities, and their towns to reach thousands of people each year, build awareness of New England’s high rate of pediatric cancer, and honor local families affected by pediatric cancer.

And the fight has just begun. Project Blackout is "already preparing to make 2024 an even bigger year in the push for a cure," according to DiNitto.