With the Section V Hockey season underway, many area schools have already played multiple games, but McQuaid Jesuit senior Cooper Petrone is locked in a different type of battle.

Cooper was diagnosed with Non Hodgkin’s Lymphoma earlier this fall and has been battling routine sessions of chemotherapy ever since.  His presence on the team has been greatly missed.

“It’s a big loss to the team.  It’s definitely weird not having him in the locker room everyday–we really miss him on and off the ice,” junior teammate Alex Klimowski said.

However, the McQuaid Jesuit community is making sure Cooper does not fight alone.  Numerous types of fundraising for Cooper have begun around the school, including an extremely successful Go Fund Me page started by junior teammate Luke Masaschi. The fundraiser page’s original monetary goal was $15,000 yet quickly surpassed that and has a current total of $ 35,000.

Senior teammates Brady Fitzpatrick and Charlie Merkley have begun selling T-shirts to McQuaid students, with the proceeds going to Cooper and his family.  The purchase of these shirts also will be a part of five “Support Coop” dress down days throughout the rest of the school year.  The T-shirts feature a green cancer ribbon with the words “No Knight Fights Alone” on the front with the number 27, Cooper’s hockey number, on the back.

“We have, as of second lunch on Thursday, Nov. 29, raised $5,560.00 for Cooper and his family!” said English Teacher Richard Vernetti. “And we still have about 20 shirts remaining from the first order.”

Vernetti also explained that a second shipment of T-shirts is coming and there is a chance of a third shipment being ordered if interest is expressed.

“There may also be an initiative to purchase a third round of shirts to open sales to parents, the wider McQuaid community, as well as the hockey community in Rochester, which is also rallying around Cooper and his family,” Vernetti explained.

The entire McQuaid community has rallied to support Cooper in any way they can.