By Jake Donovan

Days before he gives it all in the ring, Oleksandr Gvozdyk and several local boxers will take time to give back to the community.

The unbeaten light heavyweight champion leads a cast of notable figures from Saturday’s Top Rank on ESPN show in Philadelphia who will host a local fundraiser on Thursday. The event comes in the form of a lemonade stand to benefit Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, whose proceeds are used to help find cures for children battling cancer.

“Cancer touches so many families, including my own,” local promoter and marketing strategist Michelle ‘Raging Babe’ Rosado told BoxingScene.com of her personal connection to the cause in setting up the event along with Top Rank, who presents Saturday’s show. “I saw what my dad went through, and that there are kids who have to fight that fight weighs heavy on my heart.

“I'm so inspired by these kids and the work that Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation is doing.”

The public fundraiser is a welcomed change of pace from the normal fight week schedule, with boxers joining the cause two days before Saturday’s sold-out show at 2300 Arena in South Philadelphia.

Headlining the card, Gvozdyk will face France’s Doudou Ngumbu (38-8, 14KOs) in the first defense of the World light heavyweight championship he acquired in a dramatic 11th round knockout of Adonis Stevenson last December.

While his focus is squarely placed on his upcoming in-ring challenge, being part of this event was also a necessity as the topic hits home for the unbeaten Ukrainian.

“My father-in-law died from cancer a few months ago,” Gvozdyk (16-0, 13KOs) revealed to BoxingScene.com of his own dealings with cancer. “It’s a bad thing, a 21st century plague. I supported all of the people who struggle against this disease. I try to help whenever I can.”

Gvozdyk will be joined by a group of boxers from Philadelphia and its outskirts, including: heavyweight prospect Sonny Conto (1-0, 1KO); welterweight Ray Robinson (24-3, 12KOs); unbeaten featherweight Donald Smith (8-0, 5KOs); Reading super featherweight Joshafat Ortiz (5-0, 3KOs); and Allentown’s Jeremy Adorno, who makes his pro debut on Saturday.

The event—which takes place at Di Bruno Bros.—Italian Market on 930 S. 9th Street in Philadelphia from 11:00am-1:00pm local time—will honor local cancer survivor-turned-hero Cole Patrick Fitzgerald, who was diagnosed with Stage 4 Neuroblastoma at age four.

The disease was just the latest blow in his young life at the time, as he was a 30-week preemie twin born with lungs too small to fully function and bilateral dislocated hips due to the lack of amniotic fluid in his sac during a seven-week period of his mother’s pregnancy.

Ironically, Cole was born five months before the foundation’s creator, Alexandra “Alex” Scott passed away in Aug. ’04 at age eight, suffering from the very same form of cancer. She held her first fundraiser—a simple lemonade stand—at age four, raising over $2,000.

The foundation would go on to raise more than $1 million by the time of her passing. Proceeds have benefitted children such as Cole, now 15 and a card-carrying Philly sports fan across the board who is 11 years in remission.

In between annual checkups at A.I. DuPont Survivor Clinic in Wilmington, Del., Cole has emerged as a red belt in kickboxing who is presently working towards his black belt, in addition to being an active gamer as well as a huge WWE fan.

On Thursday, he will officially become part of the boxing community.

“I'm so grateful to Top Rank for putting this together with us,” notes Rosado. “They wanted to give back to the community, and jumped wholeheartedly on board with this fundraiser.

“I'm excited for Thursday, especially for the opportunity to meet childhood cancer survivor and Hero Ambassador Cole and his family. I'm ready to sling some lemonade with Gvozdyk and Conto!”

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox