A college student from Rockland County is taking big strides in support of the fight against cancer.

Ethan Dowie of Pearl River is 21 years old and not yet done with college, but he's set on making a difference in the lives of children fighting cancer.

The Division 1 student athlete is a volunteer at Sunrise Day Camp, a year-round program for children with the disease.

The program had such an impact on the young man’s life that he has since formed his own nonprofit organization that holds sporting events to raise money for children battling cancer.

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"I went there thinking this might be a gloomy in place, but it ended up changing my life instead of me changing theirs,” said Dowie. “So I just really wanted to give it back to them."

A track meet on Saturday marked Dowie’s first fundraising event.

Dowie says he hopes to grow the event each year and raise enough money to make a significant contribution to Sunrise.