When 10-year-old Nick Benetti celebrated his birthday a few weeks back, he could have made a haul on birthday gifts. But he passed on the presents and instead asked his birthday party guests to consider a making a donation to the Victor Boys Youth Lacrosse organization.
“I had 21 friends from lacrosse and football — all boys (at my party),” said Nick. “I like lacrosse and I want more kids to play. I thought other kids would probably benefit from a donation.”
The Victor resident, now in fourth grade at The Harley School in Rochester, has played sports for six years.
“The Victor Boys Youth Lacrosse organization has been instrumental in developing Nick as an athlete,” said his mom, Christine Valway-Benetti. “He’s been a member since kindergarten and this was Nick’s way of ‘giving back’ to the organization.”
As a result of this birthday party-turned-fundraiser, Nick and his friends were able to raise $365, which he gave to VBYL Director Tony Pezzimenti.
“I think they’ll use it for equipment,” Nick said. “(Now maybe) kids that don’t have equipment can get equipment.”
According to family members, it didn’t take a lot of arm-twisting to get Nick to forego birthday presents.
“We planted the seed, but we didn’t tell him that he had to do that,” said Valway-Benetti. “We were ecstatic when we found out that was what he was going to do.”
For this year, Nick was happy to chow down on a chocolate and vanilla football cake and play football and lacrosse in his back yard. What will he tackle next year?
“Maybe the football organization,” he said.
When 10-year-old Nick Benetti celebrated his birthday a few weeks back, he could have made a haul on birthday gifts. But he passed on the presents and instead asked his birthday party guests to consider a making a donation to the Victor Boys Youth Lacrosse organization.
“I had 21 friends from lacrosse and football — all boys (at my party),” said Nick. “I like lacrosse and I want more kids to play. I thought other kids would probably benefit from a donation.”
The Victor resident, now in fourth grade at The Harley School in Rochester, has played sports for six years.
“The Victor Boys Youth Lacrosse organization has been instrumental in developing Nick as an athlete,” said his mom, Christine Valway-Benetti. “He’s been a member since kindergarten and this was Nick’s way of ‘giving back’ to the organization.”
As a result of this birthday party-turned-fundraiser, Nick and his friends were able to raise $365, which he gave to VBYL Director Tony Pezzimenti.
“I think they’ll use it for equipment,” Nick said. “(Now maybe) kids that don’t have equipment can get equipment.”
According to family members, it didn’t take a lot of arm-twisting to get Nick to forego birthday presents.
“We planted the seed, but we didn’t tell him that he had to do that,” said Valway-Benetti. “We were ecstatic when we found out that was what he was going to do.”
For this year, Nick was happy to chow down on a chocolate and vanilla football cake and play football and lacrosse in his back yard. What will he tackle next year?
“Maybe the football organization,” he said.
