CRANBERRY TWP — Zachary Kass-Gerji wanted to give back to Make-A-Wish Greater Pennsylvania and West Virginia after he was a wish recipient last summer, but he died before he got the chance.

Now Kass-Gerji's family is making sure that wish is honored by hosting an event May 20 at The Clubhouse in Gibsonia.

“Ever since, he wanted to give back and give kids the opportunity to do what they wanted to do,” said Rachel Miller, Zachary's older sister. “So we're doing it for him.”

Zachary died March 26, three weeks before his 17th birthday on April 16. He battled a rare cancer for 20 months, Miller said.

Zachary was the youngest of four siblings in a tight-knit family.

The family lived in Cranberry Township before moving south to Pine Township, Allegheny County, about 10 years ago, said Miller, who still lives in Cranberry.

Zachary went to Haine Elementary School before the family moved.

He was diagnosed in June 2016 with rhabdomyosarcoma, a disease where cancer cells form in muscle tissue. His case was inoperable because of the location of the tumor that wrapped around his urinary tract and other vital organs, Miller said.

“They only gave him two to five years to live to begin with,” she said.

This was not the family's first brush with cancer. Miller said their mother, Debra, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2014, but went into remission in April 2016, a few months before Zachary was diagnosed.

Zachary went through several types of chemotherapy and radiation. The cancer was contained and the tumor had even shrunk until Christmas of last year, his sister said.

“Then it started spreading, and it spread so rapidly they couldn't control it,” Miller said.

For the last month of his life, Zachary was in hospice care. He was surrounded by family when he died, Miller said.

Before he got sick, Zachary played soccer and was a member of the marching band at Pine-Richland High School. Miller said her brother was especially close to her son, Zachary's nephew, Josh.

Last summer, Zachary received his wish and traveled with his mother to the Atlantis resort in the Bahamas to explore his interest in marine life, said Dana Antkowiak, a spokeswoman with Make-A-Wish Greater Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

Miller said her brother wanted to be a marine biologist. While at Atlantis, he got to interact with sea lions and dolphins.

Make-A-Wish Greater Pennsylvania and West Virginia, which covers 57 counties in Pennsylvania and the entire state of West Virginia, granted 705 wishes for children with critical illnesses in the 2017 fiscal year, according to the group's website. The average cost of a wish is $4,400, Antkowiak said.

“Money raised here stays here,” Antkowiak said of raising funds for the local chapter.

After his trip, Zachary wanted to do something to raise money for the group that had given him the trip of a lifetime.

“He wanted to do something in honor of his birthday. This was big for him,” Miller said. “He thought other kids should be able to do it.”

This was typical of her brother, who cared for others more than himself, Miller said.

Family members will be there to support Zachary's Wish from noon to 9 p.m. May 20 at The Clubhouse, 5301 Randalli Drive, Gibsonia. The public event will include a basket auction, silent auction, 50/50 raffle and more, Miller said.

Miller said her brother was an avid Pittsburgh sports fan, so there will be a raffle of signed sports memorabilia, in addition to items donated from local restaurants and other businesses.

They have already raised more than $6,000 from online donations and other donations, Miller said.

“We're always so touched by that,” Antkowiak said, of wish recipients raising money for other children to have their wishes fulfilled. “We've had several over the years that hold events in honor of our organization. It's pretty amazing. We're so appreciative.”

Those unable to attend Zachary's Wish event and want to donate can make a check payable to Make-A-Wish Greater Pennsylvania and West Virginia and mail it to The Gulf Tower, 707 Grant St., 37th Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15219-1938. Put Zachary Kass-Gerji in the memo line or donate online at greaterpawv.wish.org and note that it is in memory of Zachary Kass-Gerji.