Man With Down Syndrome Helps Kids With Cancer On Valentine's Day

CENTER MORICHES, NY — Valentine's Day is the day for love — and a man with Down syndrome who devotes his life to giving back is opening his heart to kids fighting cancer.

Keith Caputo, 39, is a familiar face in the community, helping all who need a hand: Caputo is founder and board member of the 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization "Helping Makes U Happy," which aims to show how every human is capable of making a difference through volunteering.

And now for Valentine's Day, Keith has created a pizza fundraiser to help raise funds for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

"Valentine’s Day is almost here — have you placed your order yet? Order for yourself, for family, for a friend," Keith wrote on Facebook. "All the money raised for HMUH is going to help kids fighting cancer, and I’ll match what’s raised."

Keith and his mother Cassy Caputo teamed up with Michelangelo of Center Moriches, located at 794 Main Street in Center Moriches, and Dairy Queen in Medford for "The Family Love Special" fundraiser: For $35 plus tax, pizza lovers can order a heart-shaped pie and a red velvet ice cream cake. The first 50 people to order will receive a free teddy bear. And $5 from each order goes to Helping Makes U Happy.

Cassy Caputo explained how the idea for the fundraiser was born: "Keith has seen the commercials for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and is always very affected by them," she said. "He knows many people with cancer and several children who’ve had cancer and he always wants to help them. Children, especially, he believes, should be able to have a fun childhood and to reach for the stars."

Cassy said she and her son read about St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and the facility's phrase, "'Keep Hope', and Keith really liked that," she said.

In addition, Cassy said, Dawn Eten, a manager at Kay Jewelers in Riverhead, has donated many of the bears — part of a fundraiser for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital — that were purchased and donated back HMUH.

"Often Keith gives some to children in need at holiday time but this year we were blessed to receive so many toys that we not only had enough for the holidays but also for the birthday clubs that we run for kids in need," Cassy said. "In speaking with Dawn he discovered that Kay Jewelers has a 'give back at the register' program for St. Jude’s in place all year so he thought it would be so great to pay the money we raise forward back to the hospital via Kay Jewelers."

Since there are a limited number of teddy bears, Keith decided that he'd match whatever we raised with his own money "so he could help more kids," she said.