The PS 232 classmates of Sebastian Oseff, bottom right, who passed away last year after a fight with brain cancer, are holding a fundraiser for childhood cancer research on March 16 in honor of their friend. Photo courtesy Carola Pepe
Sebastian Oseff was wise beyond his years.
A student at PS 232 in Lindenwood, the elementary school boy was known to his family and friends as a bright spot in a world that can be daunting in its darkness. Described as charismatic, intelligent, and an “old soul” who stopped at nothing to make sure those around him were happy, Sebastian lost his battle with brain cancer at the age of 8 years old on March 16 last year – but his presence, his friends and family said, will forever be felt.
To honor Sebastian, his friends from PS 232 are holding a fundraiser for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, a volunteer-driven charity dedicated to raising money for life-saving childhood cancer research, exactly one year from the day the world said goodbye to Sebastian, March 16.
“This is a very important event that I am very proud to be part of,” said PS 232 student Benjamin Sorrentino. “My best friend Sebastian passed away on March 16, 2013 from brain cancer, and I miss him very much. I’m shaving my head on March 16, 2014 to honor him and in memory of him. I hope, by doing this this, I can help raise enough money to help other children survive cancer. I hope other people will come out and support the cause.”
As part of the fundraiser, which will take place at 1 p.m. at the Royal Cutz Barbershop at 102-51 Jamaica Ave. in Richmond Hill, Sebastian’s friends are shaving their heads – a move meant to show solidarity with children who have lost their hair while fighting cancer.
“I am doing this because Sebastian was a great friend,” PS 232 student Anthony Pepe said. “He was nice and always gave compliments. This means a lot to me, and I wish he was still here. I am doing this in memory of him and to try to help other kids that have cancer.”
Both Anthony’s and Benjamin’s mothers, Carola Pepe and Beth Sorrentino, are helping to organize the event.
The funds raised on March 16 will go to the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, which has, since its inception in 2005, raised more than $127 million to support childhood cancer research.
Sebastian’s mother, Jennifer Oseff, of Lindenwood, said she and her husband are incredibly touched by the students’ efforts honoring her son.
“It’s bringing hope and awareness to people,” she said of the fundraiser. “The gratitude my husband and I have for people extending themselves and going out of their way is priceless.”
Oseff stressed the importance of funding childhood cancer research, noting that cancer “affects people of all walks of life and all ages.
“It’s soul destroying,” she said.
But, Sebastian’s mother said, such an event is a reminder of the power of friendship and connections to one another.
“It gives a true meaning to the word community,” she said. “That these children who I’ve learned to adore would do that, that they’ve fought so hard for my son, is so important.”
Saying how difficult it has been for Sebastian’s friends to grieve for their young friend, Carola Pepe noted how important this event is for the community: It is, she said, a chance to bring a bit of the same light that Sebastian once brought to the world.
“He was my old soul,” Oseff said of her son. “I could go on for hours about what kind of a child he was. He was an individual who had so much to offer, gave so much, and far exceeded his years in terms of intelligence and humor.”
Anyone is welcome to help the students raise money on March 16. For more information, visit http://www.stbaldricks.org/
By Anna Gustafson
