Miller partners with Carly's Club to improve lives of childhood cancer patients

Following his cousin Matt Schoals' untimely death from cancer just six weeks ago, Buffalo Sabres' goalie Ryan Miller has announced a new partnership to help ensure that children and teens like his "Matt Man" and their families have the emotional and psychological support needed to fight cancer and maintain a positive outlook for the duration of the battle.

Miller joined children and families served by Carly's Club for Kids and Cancer Research at Roswell Park Cancer Institute on Nov. 20 to announce that The Steadfast Foundation, created by Miller in 2006, will become the naming sponsor for all psychosocial support programs and activities for families served by Carly's Club at Roswell Park.

In addition, Miller unveiled a new Saves for Cancer program that will raise additional funds throughout the 2007-08 hockey season for Carly's Club at Roswell Park. Miller will also play a part in Roswell Park's Gen-Y campaign to help spur interest in charitable giving to Roswell among 13- to 26-year-olds and to encourage youth to pursue healthcare careers.

"To turn his own grief into something to help so many other families so soon after losing Matt shows Ryan's character and how passionate he is to improve the lives of children during their illness - despite the loss he and his family are still going through," said Michael Zevon, chairman of psychosocial oncology at Roswell.

Schoals, who suffered complications from a bone marrow transplant in Lansing, Mich., after treatment for leukemia, died on Oct. 8, just one month after his 18th birthday. His courage provided inspiration to Miller throughout Schoals' ordeal, and he became a part of Miller's on-ice play through a "Matt Man" bulldog logo that became a permanent part of the back of Miller's helmet.

"I see the same courage Matt and Carly showed in all the children I have met through Carly's Club and Roswell," said Miller. "You can never imagine how difficult this disease can be on an entire family until you've experienced it firsthand. Ensuring these supportive programs can continue so that children and their families can find strength, enjoy times together despite their illness, and gain support from caring professionals are something we needed to do, and wanted to do, to help make life more manageable for other families facing pediatric cancer."

Along with regularly scheduled visits to children served by Roswell Park, Carly's Club programs to be funded by Miller's Steadfast Foundation's $50,000 contribution include group outings and special events to help children and families escape the rigors of treatment and connect with other families; social work and school intervention assistance to help children succeed in classes during and after treatment; the annual Cancer in the Classroom program for families and educators; and support programs run in the Pediatric Center.

The Saves for Cancer program will involve corporate sponsors, such as West Herr agreeing to donate $10 for every on-ice save made by Miller. It is expected to raise up to an additional $50,000 for The Steadfast Foundation and Carly's Club.

Carly's Club exists to offer support programs to make life more manageable for children diagnosed with cancer and their families and to raise funds for pediatric cancer research seeking cures at Roswell Park Cancer Institute.

It was founded by the late Carly Cottone Collard, a brain cancer patient at Roswell. A native of Amherst, Carly succumbed to her cancer in August 2002 at the age of 11, after a three-year fight. She had previously lost both her birth parents to cancer before her own diagnosis. Carly's Club is managed by the Roswell Park Alliance Foundation, an independent not-for-profit organization. For more information, visit www.CarlysClub.org or call 845-4100.

The Steadfast Foundation, formed by Ryan Miller in 2006, is a nonprofit corporation with a mission to assist those afflicted and affected by the consequences of cancer and especially childhood forms of the disease. The goal of The Steadfast Foundation is to help provide patients and their families with support to improve their circumstances and attitude and give them the best environment and a better ability to battle the disease. For more information, visit www.thesteadfastfoundation. com.