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Islanders and Northwell to Open Jennifer Schaefer Child Support Center in October

The project channels the rookie’s tribute to his late mother into concrete help for children during a parent’s cancer treatment.

Overview

  • The Islanders Children’s Foundation pledged $150,000 on Monday to launch the center with Northwell Health at the R.J. Zuckerberg Cancer Center in New Hyde Park.
  • The space will give kids a place to wait while a parent receives treatment, with a counselor on site and a private room for grief counseling.
  • Plans call for hockey touches and play, including Islanders memorabilia, air hockey, gaming consoles, bubble hockey, and a scoreboard with custom greetings.
  • Matthew Schaefer, 18, said he will visit the room throughout the year as part of honoring his mother, who died of breast cancer in February 2024.
  • The opening planned for October uses the team’s platform and Northwell’s reach as New York’s largest health system to expand family support on Long Island.