Close to 100 people showed up at Wildwood Lake Bowl on Sunday night at a fundraiser held to benefit nine-year-old Christopher Timpone, a fourth grader at Aquebogue Elementary School who was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer last October.

"The support from the community has been overwhelming," said his mother, Kathleen Timpone, on Sunday. "It's been beyond my imagination."

Garrett Moore, a teacher at Riverhead High School who runs the school's Council for Unity - a group dedicated to unifying the student body - said his students took the wheel in setting up the fundraiser after they heard about the Timpone's story.

Kathleen Timpone said her son "just woke up one day with a lump on his face." Five doctors later, she said, he was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma, a rare disease which mostly affects children. Last Monday, he underwent surgery at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Hospital and had part of his jawbone removed in an attempt to remove the tumor, replacing the jawbone with part of a leg bone.

Christopher, the oldest of three boys, has gone through four treatments of chemotherapy, with three more to go. Despite the sometimes grueling sessions, Kathleen said that doctors have told her "for a nine year, he is remarkably composed in the face of trauma."

Kathleen says her son, who "plays just about any sport you can think of," wants to be a professional golfer.

A fund has been set up to help pay Christopher's medical costs. Individuals interested in making donations can send a check to: Courage, Strength and Faith for Christopher; P.O. Box 894; Shoreham, NY; 11786.

In addition, the family has set up a Facebook page to keep the community aware of Christopher's developments.