Mike Landesberg, the executive chef and owner of Jackson Hall in East Islip, has a motto: “Courtesy is contagious, pay it forward.” The renowned chef practices what he preaches. Landesberg is paying it forward in the amount of $61,260 for breast cancer services and research, raised through his third annual All Boobs Matter Cancer Awareness Fundraiser at Jackson Hall on Oct. 6.

Landesberg learned he had a mutation to the BRCA2 gene and was diagnosed with breast cancer five years ago. The average lifetime risk of getting breast cancer as a man is about 1 in 726, yet many men are unaware that they could get breast cancer at all. After regaining his health, Landesberg amassed a large following on social media and began to use his platform to launch the All Boobs Matter fundraiser.

Twenty-six thousand dollars was raised the first year of the fundraiser, while last year $42,000 was raised. This year, Landesberg had a goal of raising $50,000, which was massively surpassed. All funds raised are donated to the Male Breast Cancer Global Alliance and the West Islip Breast Cancer Coalition (WIBCC).

“Incredible [that] Michael in three years created an event that raised $60,000 to help so many others! This is a beautiful human being, my definition of a superhero,” said Donna Marano, president of the WIBCC.

“Michael puts his entire soul into this event and being able to unite this many people is truly a gift,” shared Cheri Ambrose, founder and president of the Male Breast Cancer Global Alliance. “Thank you to everyone for their support and generosity. A portion of this year’s funds will go directly to the Male Breast Cancer Research program at Dana Farber Cancer Institute.”

The extraordinary success of the event can be attributed in part to the over-the-top raffle items. A seven-day vacation to Siesta Key, Fla., with round-trip plane tickets; a $3,000 diamond and gold tennis bracelet donated from Gennaro Jewelers; thousands of dollars’ worth of gift cards; and so many more items were donated to be raffled off at the fundraiser.

About 50 volunteers helped the event run smoothly as hundreds of attendees flocked to Jackson Hall. Among the attendees were special guest appearances from Al Fenza, the “hug a chef” food influencer; Sloppy Joe from Impractical Jokers; Gary Brown, a former defensive tackle and Super Bowl champion for the Green Bay Packers; Goumba Johnny, a comedian, former New York Jet and DJ on 103.5 KTU; and Randy “The Commish” Gordon, a former boxing commissioner who was recently inducted to the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

For Landesberg, seeing the event unfold so successfully after months of planning was a dream come true. One favorite memory he has from the fundraiser was the pulling of the $14,000 50/50 raffle. Friends of Landesberg’s son sold flowers made from pipe cleaners to raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. A dozen or so flowers remained, totaling $40. Attendee Brandon Cross purchased the remainder of the flowers for $100, donating the change.

“Minutes later, out of thousands of tickets, that guy was the guy that won the 50/50,” shared Landesberg. “It was almost like good karma. He immediately, without hesitation, tried to hand me back the $7,000, but we declined it.”

While the third annual All Boobs Matter fundraiser was a memorable day of fun for all, awareness remains at the heart of the event.

“Every time I am interviewed and I get to share my story, it is another opportunity to get the word out and, potentially, save someone’s life,” said Landesberg.”