12 January 2011
Chess blog for news and trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011
In this 2006 photo, Benjamin Morrison holds his
sister, Nina, who passed away that year. Nina had a
Fanconi Anemia, a rare disease, and Benjamin has
organised a chess tournament this Saturday, Jan. 15, at Corbett High School to raise funds to fight the disease.
Hi Everybody,
We found this heartwarming story of a kid who holds an annual chess tournament and donates the funds raised for medical research.
Benjamin Morrison, 14, a freshman at Corbett High School, remembers his sister, Nina, as “very, very, very cheerful.
“She liked making friends with new people — just a very likable person,” he says.
Unfortunately, not enough people got the chance to know the delightful 3-and-a-half year old because she suffered from Fanconi Anemia, a rare genetic disease that can cause bone marrow failure and is linked to several cancers. Nina died of a brain tumor in December 2006 without having seen her fourth birthday.
For the second year in a row, Benjamin has organized a chess tournament in his sister’s memory to raise funds for the Fanconi Anemia Research Fund, based in Eugene. Last year’s tournament raised about $500, he says.
The tournament will take place from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 15, at Corbett High School, 35800 E. Columbia River Highway, and is open to any chess player in grades kindergarten through 12th. A suggested donation of $10 is requested per player.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk’s
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal blog at
www.chessqueen.com
