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Western New Yorkers help raise money for sickle cell awareness at Johnnie B. Wiley Sports Pavilion

The event was a memorial birthday party to honor Jasmine Parker. She lost her fight with sickle cell disease earlier this year at 28 years old.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — An event was held Friday night at the Johnnie B. Wiley Sports Pavilion to help raise money for sickle cell awareness. 

The event was a memorial birthday party to honor Jasmine Parker. She lost her fight with sickle cell disease earlier this year at 28 years old.

Organizers say they received a lot of support from the community to make this fundraiser happen.

"Sickle cell is right up there with cancer you know. It's a lifelong disease people are battling every day," said Antonio Parker, Jasmine's brother.

"You know it's a disability, it's one that you don't see. Clearly they're not in a wheelchair, they're not on crutches, they're not missing a limb. But like they're in constant pain all the time and that gets pushed to the side because you may look healthy but you're really not."

There was a minimum donation of $15 to enter the event, which included food, music and a raffle.

Some of the proceeds earned from the event are going to "My Three Sicklers" a nonprofit organization and the rest is being given to a pediatric sickle cell patient at the Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center.

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