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Olivia Gonyea, left, helps Mary Jo Benton, a Marrano interior designer, at the patio home to be sold to benefit Roswell Park Cancer Institute.
Olivia Gonyea, left, helps Mary Jo Benton, a Marrano interior designer, at the patio home to be sold to benefit Roswell Park Cancer Institute.

Wheatfield girl helps with 'Raising the Roof'

by jmaloni
Thu, Sep 29th 2011 02:15 pm

Olivia Gonyea, a 10-year-old former pediatric patient at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, recently completed work as an assistant interior designer for Marrano/Marc Equity's "Raising the Roof," a fundraising project to benefit the cancer center.

Olivia worked with Marrano interior designer, Mary Jo Benton, in decorating a guest room in a new patio home at the builder's Greythorne community in Williamsville. Marrano will donate proceeds from the sale of the patio home to RPCI to support cancer research.

"We decorated the room with light, bright colors and vibrant art and furnishings," explained Olivia. "It was fun working with Mary Jo in selecting colors, pillows and other accessories to create the room."

"Olivia and I set out to create a fun and inviting guest room, perfect for a young granddaughter staying overnight for a visit," added Mary Jo Benton. "I can see Olivia becoming an interior designer in the future - she has a good eye for decorating."

Olivia, a fifth-grade student from Wheatfield, completed her last treatment at RPCI over a year ago. This is the third time RPCI and Marrano have teamed up for Raising the Roof, and the past two efforts of the partnership generated a total of more than $320,000 to fund groundbreaking cancer research at RPCI. Nearly every Marrano partner from past Raising the Roof initiatives, from material suppliers and framing crews to carpenters and painters, are participating again for the 2011 effort. They have donated time and/or materials for the project in order to raise the most funds possible

The Raising the Roof home is located at 58 Harbridge Manor in the Greythorne patio home community, a private, gated neighborhood adjacent to the Country Club of Buffalo, near Main Street and Youngs Road in Williamsville. The home is available for immediate sale and features views of the golf course and surrounding community. The open floor plan includes a gourmet kitchen with granite counter tops and plenty of cabinet space. The kitchen opens to a large great room with soaring ceiling and gas fireplace. A first floor master suite features a large walk-in closet and private glamour bath.

A loft area overlooking the great room is ideal for home office, computer room or entertainment area. Two additional bedrooms on the second floor - including the room decorated by Olivia - are convenient to the main bath upstairs. The Raising the Roof home is open daily 1 to 5 p.m., closed Thursday and Friday. Take Main Street near Youngs to Greythorne. Call 809-8684 for more information.

Area residents can get involved in the campaign through donations to the Raising the Roof project. Donations can be made online at www.roswellpark.org/giving or by mailing to: Roswell Park Alliance Foundation, Attn. Raising the Roof, Elm and Carlton streets, Buffalo, NY 14263 (checks made payable to: Roswell Park Alliance Foundation-Raising the Roof).

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