Dear Supporters of Team ChewBlocka -

First, let me express my gratitude for all of you. In a world where we are seeing massive cuts to funding and cancer research, your generous contributions year over year are making a difference in the lives of children and their parents. Second, ChewBlocka is back at it for another summer of the Growler Tournament supporting the St. Baldrick's Foundation. 

This year, we play in honor of Jack Bonafede. 

Here are words from his father Jay and his wife, Susan. Jay is a colleague and dear friend of our teammate Maya Chawla.

Jackson David "Jack" Bonafede was born in Guatemala on September 14, 2006, and moved to Buffalo, NY, with his adoptive parents, Jay and Susan, eleven months later. Big into the Buffalo Hardcore music scene, Jack graduated from Kenmore West High School in June of 2024 and was studying jewelry design at Buffalo State University, with the goal of owning his own jewelry store. But one month after his 18th birthday, Jack was diagnosed with a baseball-size germ cell tumor in his chest that grew to the size of a softball before it was surgically removed in December 2024. Although the mass tested negative, his cancer markers remained, and in March 2025, Jack was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer that spread to his hips, liver and other locations. After bravely fighting for a total of eight months after his initial diagnosis, Jack passed away on June 18, 2025. His parents are trying to honor his legacy by supporting Western New York organizations that supported Jack's battle, including Sophia the Fierce, Inc., Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center and Golisano Children's Hospital. They are sincerely thankful for Jay's friend and Red Cross colleague Maya, ChewBlocka, St. Baldrick's and everyone supporting pediatric cancer research in the hopes that no other children have their hopes and dreams denied by this horrific disease.