A benefit for Christopher

The Fourth Annual Christopher’s Hemophilia Benefit dinner and fundraiser will be held on Mar. 9 at 7:30 p.m., at Rocco’s Catering in East Rockaway.

This event was started four years ago by close family and friends for Christopher Ambrosio, and second-grader at West End Elementary School, to raise money for the NYCHC, a chapter of the National Hemophilia Foundation’s Annual Walk Along the River in Riverside Park in Manhattan. This year’s walk will be held on June 3. All proceeds from Christopher’s Hemophilia Benefit Dinner will transfer over to the walking team of “Christopher’s Crew.”

Christopher is a 7-year-old Lynbrook boy with severe hemophilia, a genetic bleeding disorder. He was born without factor 8, a blood-clotting factor, which is essential to prevent bleeding into your muscles, joints, and major organs.

The only treatment for hemophilia is infusions through intravenous means, with blood products to replace the missing clotting factor protein. Chris has a mediport in his chest and is infused at home daily. This allows him to be like every other child his age. Improved treatment over the decades has drastically increased the quality of life and life span of the bleeding disorder community. “Through your continued support we can continue to improve treatment,” said his mother, Kelly. “Please help us continue to raise money for research and a cure for such a rare, devastating disease.”

Last year, Christopher’s Crew raised over $17,000, and was recognized as the top fundraising team nationwide out of hundreds of teams and 21 different walk sites.

For more info about the walk visit www.hemophilia.org/walk , select a walk event, New York, then find and select team, Christopher’s crew.