Last week Cherry’s Family Restaurant in Kresgeville was decked out with pink balloons and the mood was festive and hopeful.

“After raising money and bringing attention to breast cancer during Breast Cancer Awareness month we decided we wanted pick a family in the West End community who have been affected by cancer,” said Mary Battadlino, the restaurant manager.

Thanks to all the donations and the money raised selling Japanese lanterns at the Wednesday night fundraiser the employees at the restaurant were able to surprise local resident Corinne Acevedo with a check for $3,054 to help her fight her cancer battle.

She was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer this past May and after 12 weeks of treatment, Acevedo is now preparing for surgery in November.

“The money the employees collected this month, through raffle tickets, through donations and what we make tonight on the lanterns, will go 100 percent to the family to help with the medical bills,” Battadlino said.

“I can’t thank you enough for what you have done.

“There are days you miss people and feel forgotten, especially when you’re sick and you don’t hear from people, and, but then you have a whole community of people come together and do something like this for you and it takes away all of that,” Acevedo said.

With tears in her eyes she said, “After so much bad news it was overwhelming to see so many people show up to support me and my family.”