Facts n’ Farts: Paulie’s Annual Trivia Night & Chili Cook-Off

My father, Paul Leary, was diagnosed with Stage IV prostate cancer the summer of 2012. He first thought he’d pinched a nerve, only to find out that he had Stage IV prostate cancer and about 1 – four years to live. 

He was just shy of 52 years old.

My dad fought courageously for almost four years, working up until May of 2016 as a mechanic for the power company. Eventually the cancer overtook his body and fighting spirit – he lost his battle June 28th, 2016.

I support ZERO’s mission and am thankful to have such an amazing support system. I’d been trying to come up with a way to honor dad’s memory and raise money to help find a cure and this year it finally came to me! Dad loved trivia and he made a mean chili…so why not combine the two?!

On Saturday, September 22nd I held my first annual trivia night and chili cook-off in memory of my dad. We called it the “Facts n’ Farts: Paulie’s Annual Trivia Night & Chili Cook-Off” and it was a resounding success! We raised nearly $1,000 for ZERO and had a fantastic time honoring my dad’s memory while we did it! It was a long journey to finding something that would truly honor him that would also give back, but I think we’ve found the perfect annual event that will do both. I’m thankful for all ZERO has done for my family and how they’ve supported me, and I’m glad to be able to give back in my dad’s memory.

I can’t wait to see what we can do next year – I think it will be even bigger and better!

Interested in doing your own fundraiser? Use ZERO’s platform or create a one on Facebook.

Read more of Katie and her dad’s story here.