Help for ‘heavy burden’

By BRADEN CARMEN September 5, 2026 5 min read

The SonShine Charitable Fund supports families dealing with the loss of a child. The SonShine Charitable Fund’s annual Monte Carlo Night is set for Saturday, Oct. 3, from 3 to 9 p.m., at the Sheridan VFW.

Submitted Photos The SonShine Charitable Fund was established in honor and memory of Christopher John Conti, who passed away on Aug. 1, 1984, at the age of 18.

Pictured is Darrin Paschke spinning the wheel at a previous year’s event.

Pictured is the crowd at a previous year’s Monte Carlo Night.

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SHERIDAN -- There is nothing more devastating than the loss of a child. The SonShine Charitable Fund was established to provide help to families dealing with that unfathomable burden, not only by assisting with the cost of funeral expenses, but by letting families know they are not alone in what is likely the darkest time of their lives.

An event later this fall provides an opportunity to check both of those boxes, as the SonShine Fund's annual Monte Carlo Night at the Sheridan VFW will raise money and awareness for the SonShine Fund's mission while also bringing the community together for a night to show support.

The fifth annual Monte Carlo Night will be on Saturday, Oct. 3, beginning at 3:30 p.m., with doors opening at 3 p.m. The event runs through 9 p.m. at the Sheridan VFW, located along Route 20 at 2556 Main Road. It is billed as a cocktail attire occasion billed as "an evening of elegance, entertainment, and giving back."

Admission to Monte Carlo Night is free, with hors d'oeuvres provided throughout the evening. Live music will be provided throughout the event by Two Towns and Dan Siracuse.

Casino games will be held throughout the evening, including dice, blackjack, poker, and more. Games of chance begin at 5 p.m. A live auction begins at 7 p.m. Basket raffles will be held throughout the night, with a silent auction concluding at 8 p.m.

This year's event has several big ticket items, including a Josh Allen autographed Buffalo Bills jersey set to be raffled off at the event. Last year, there were 129 baskets raffled off, and over 100 baskets were raffled off in each of the past three years. In recent years, footballs, helmets and other memorabilia from the Buffalo Bills were provided as prizes for the event.

Alex Conti, President and Co-Founder of the SonShine Charitable Fund, said, "It's a way to bring the community together. It will help raise money and awareness to who we are and what we do."

All proceeds from the event will benefit the SonShine Charitable Fund, which is run entirely by volunteers. Every dollar the SonShine Charitable Fund receives goes directly to families impacted by the loss of a child.

Conti founded the SonShine Charitable Fund in honor and memory of his brother, Christopher John Conti, who passed away on Aug. 1, 1984, at the age of 18. Losing a brother at a young age showed Conti how challenging the days following such a loss can be on families. Once he had the opportunity to ease that burden for other families, he and his wife, Stacy, started the SonShine Fund in 2019.

Conti has impacted the lives of countless children during his time as a Fredonia Central School teacher and coach. His career as a wrestler and wrestling coach earned him a spot in the Chautauqua Sports Hall of Fame. But through the SonShine Fund, Conti's impact on families in the region now extends to those who have lost a child, even if they never knew his name.

"I've always loved the saying that a burden shared is cut in half, and a joy shared is doubled," Conti said. "That's a heavy burden, so the more it can be cut in half sure is helpful."

The SonShine Fund began with supporting just Chautauqua County, but as the support grew, the organization's outreach expanded. The organization now serves eight counties across western New York, along with three counties and five townships in Pennsylvania.

"The generosity of people, primarily in Chautauqua County, has been tremendous," Conti said. "We have some donors that are extremely generous."

Since it was officially established as a nonprofit organization, the SonShine Charitable Fund has supported 146 families after the loss of a child. Of those 146 families, 56 were located in Erie County.

There are only two criteria for families to qualify for assistance from the SonShine Fund. The family must live in the areas the organization serves and the child who passed away must be between the ages of 1 and 19. Additional resources are provided online for families dealing with the loss of an infant.

To offer assistance, all Conti needs is the name of the child and the funeral home taking care of the family's needs. He then makes arrangements with the funeral home to make a donation. Conti attaches a letter to each donation to let families know that there are people out there who care and want to help, whether they met before or not. He does not reach out to families in any other way unless they initiate a conversation.

"We just try to support the family as they go through, probably, the worst time of their life," Conti said. "I don't want to be invasive at all."

Conti said one of the toughest challenges his organization faces is the struggle to identify families to support. He estimated that 85-90% of the families the organization has supported were identified by he and his wife reading the local obituaries.

"We need people to call us. We're a simple phone call away," Conti said. "We don't want to miss children and miss supporting those families, letting them know that people really do care."

Sponsorship opportunities for the Monte Carlo Night are still available. If interested, contact Alex Conti at (716) 640-7896 or email sonshinefoundation716@gmail.com.

For more information about the organization itself, follow @sonshinefund on Instagram, SonShine Charitable Fund on Facebook, or visit sonshinefund.com.

Help for ‘heavy burden’