Help Us Checkmate Cancer

At Checkmate Cancer, we believe in the power of strategy, resilience, and the human spirit. Our nonprofit organization is dedicated to supporting pediatric oncology patients through the game of chess. By teaching these brave young individuals the intricacies of chess, we empower them with critical thinking skills, foster a sense of accomplishment, and provide mental stimulation during their challenging journey.

Through our programs and initiatives, we aim to bring joy, hope, and a sense of normalcy to children facing cancer. Join us in making a difference. Together, we can help them make their move against cancer.

Discover more about our mission, programs, and how you can get involved today. Let’s Checkmate Cancer!

How You Can Take Part

My story and how Checkmate Cancer came to be

When I was very young, my mother taught me the basics of chess. After 4th grade I attended a chess camp at Camp Cannon and I became hooked, loving the thought processes and strategy chess required. I played with as many people as I could, playing against harder opponents as I improved. The best chess player in my family was my Uncle Arthur, and we would always make an effort to play whenever the family got together. In 2018, my Uncle Arthir was diagnosed with cancer. To stay connected, we would play online games of chess while he was receiving treatments. I like to hope that our games were able to distract him from his boring and sometimes painful chemotherapy ttreatments. After he passed away in 2020, I didn’t play chess for a while due to the pain of losing him. Thankfully, after a little while, I started to play chess again.

Then, one day in 2022, I had a realization. Having seen so many people around me be affected by cancer, my Uncle Arthur, my mother and her job as a pediatric oncologist, and my Uncle Michael, I decided that it was time I did something. So, I volunteered for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) as a part of Team Lead the Cure during their Student Visionaries of the Year Campaign. Even though we didn’t win, I was still very proud of the work my and my team had accomplished. However, I wanted to do more. So, in my junior year of highschool I founded Team Checkmate Cancer and competed again in the LLS Student Visionaires of the Year Campaign, this time as a team leader. We ended up winning, raising more than $240,000 and gaining the title of Charlotte Student Visioanries of the Year.

Though my and my team helped a lot of people and did a lot of important work for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, I wanted to actually have a connection with the people I was helping. I wanted to see that my work was actually making a difference. So I found this non profit with the goal of helping pediatric oncology patients by teaching them chess and giving them the same opportunity of connection that I had with my Uncle Arthur.

a as part of my healing process, i wanted to giv back to other cancer patients, In 2022, i volunteered to be part of team ??? as aLymphoma Leukemia student advocate. our team raised ?? I began playing chess again and the name “Checkmate Cancer” was in the back of my mind. I wanted to continue raising money for Cancer research. In my Junior Year, I helped to form my own team Team Checkmate Cancer as a 2023 student Advovate leader. We raised more than $240,000 for the Lymphoma & Leukemia Society. Checkmate-cancer.org is my next step to help promote a community of caring and mentorship for pediatric cancer patients while teaching them a lifelong skill.

checkmate-cancer.org

Become a Volunteer

With the aim of helping as many people as possible, no matter your chess skills, we are always looking for enthusiastic volunteers. Please contact us for more info.