Don’t be surprised if you meet a physician, social worker or other oncology professional with a personal tie to the Chiera Family Foundation, headquartered in Coconut Creek.
During its 26-year history, it has touched many lives in South Florida.
The nonprofit, which benefits children and young adults with cancer, honors the late Nicholas R. Chiera, a father and longtime commissioner of recreation and parks in New York who retired in Florida. He was lauded for his innovative recreation programs for kids. So, when he died of cancer at age 68 in 1989, his family wanted his giving spirit to live on.
Although they originally thought of naming a park or street after Nick, inspiration struck when son Louis Chiera, a foundation board member and trustee, learned of oncologists raising money to send kids with cancer to camp.
“My dad developed programs that included both [healthy] and special needs kids,” he says. “The result was the [idea to send kids to camp via the foundation]. And – because he passed away from cancer – it seemed like a perfect fit.”
The mission of the Chiera Family Foundation quickly took shape, starting with an annual fundraising dinner and golf tournament. Of the $4 million raised over the years, nearly all of it benefits participants of the foundation’s various programs.
Annually, more than 150 kids attend Camp Boggy Creek in Eustis through N.I.C.K.’s Camp, and N.I.C.K.’s Scholarships has paid to educate about 35 young adults. Then, there’s N.I.C.K.’s Golf, which teaches kids the sport as well as important life lessons, ranging from nutrition and exercise to integrity and honesty.
“All of our programs are named N.I.C.K., which stands for Nothing is Impossible for Cancer Kids,” says Louis. “My dad’s name was Nick, so that’s just another way we honor him.”
Perhaps the greatest honor, though, is watching kids who beat cancer go on to live full and productive lives, Louis says.
“We’ve never wavered on our mission over the past 26 years. It’s always been about helping kids. And then the icing on the cake is when you see these kids come back, you find out they are in medical school and you know you helped them get there. And now they are helping others. There’s nothing more rewarding than seeing this come full circle.” O
For more information, call 954-480-8809 or visit chierafamilyfoundation.org.