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Dual benefits for two area young cancer patients
Whether it be a round of golf or satisfying a hungry appetite, Fort Scottians have a couple of opportunities next Saturday for fellowship and at the same time will be able to help the families of two local children currently battling major illnesses.
The Hunter Hawley Golf Tournament will be Saturday, April 6, beginning at 8 a.m. at Woodland Hills Golf Course. Proceeds from the tournament will go to benefit Hunter's family to help offset the cost of numerous trips to Kansas City as sixth grader Hunter Hawley goes through treatments for leukemia.
Hunter was diagnosed with leukemia in 2006, and after being treated at Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, was diagnosed cancer-free two years later. Within three months, the cancer returned and Hunter was hospitalized for a month. In 2012 Hunter finished his chemotherapy treatments, but one month later, more cancer was found. He was scheduled to have a bone marrow transplant late Thursday night.
The event, organized by Steve Anthony, is a four-man scramble with the first and second place teams receiving trophies. There also will be chances sold for $1 each to win a long list of door prizes, including numerous sports celebrity autographed items. Tickets will be sold until the end of the tournament and purchasers do not need to be present to win.
Shepherd Team Auto Plaza is giving away a 2013 Chevy Cruze 1LT to the first golfer who hits a hole-in-one on the No. 11 hole. There also will be an Odyssey White Ice Dart putter up for grabs for the person sinking the longest putt on a yet-to-be-determined hole.
Cost for the tournament is $60 per person or $240 per team, which includes cart and greens fees. Concessions will be sold at the turn or after each round. To enter or donate, contact Anthony at (620) 215-2392 or Stephanie Tucker at (620) 224-4377.
Anthony said after moving back to the area last August, he began hearing about Hunter's battle and decided to try and help him by organizing the tournament. He said it was about a month later when he finally got to meet Hunter.
If golfing isn't one's cup of tea, or if one works up an appetite on the links, they might want to considering attending "Miracles for Mackenzie," a spaghetti lunch organized by Shelly Hunt to raise money for the family of Mackenzie Peoples, a fifth-grader also battling leukemia.
The event, which will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Community of Christ Church, 1623 S. Eddy St., will feature spaghetti with meat sauce or spaghetti with sauce only, a vegetable tray, french bread and a dessert buffet and drink for a free-will offering. All proceeds will go to benefit Mackenzie's family.
Hunt's daughter Samantha is one of MacKenzie's schoolmates and Shelly said Mackenzie is "one of the most lovable people you would ever want to meet."
"She's constantly smiling and she loves to talk," Hunt said. "She loves to share everything with you, her life, just everything. She is so sweet."
Hunt said Mackenzie's personality makes it easy to work hard at organizing a benefit to help the young girl.
"I was going to one of Sam's programs at school and I saw Mackenzie up there performing," Hunt said. "Someone mentioned she had just got back to school that week from doing some of her treatments. I saw she had a patch over her eye, but she did really well. I could see she was excited to be there and happy that she actually got to perform."
Hunt said Mackenzie enjoys going to school and is happy to be there whenever her health allows.
She said though it may sound strange, she believes God was speaking to her when she got the idea to host a benefit for Peoples.
"I was driving Sam to Girl Scouts one night and as I dropped her off, I was sitting in the car for about an hour waiting, and all of a sudden, this thought came into my head, 'We need to do a fundraiser for Mackenzie.'"
She said she got on a phone chain the next morning with members of the Community of Christ Church and got the ball rolling.
Members of the church then got in contact with The Sharing Bucket, which put its fundraising machine into motion.
Hunt said she hopes to serve at least 600 people at the spaghetti lunch. She also said all the profits she makes from the sale of Gold Canyon candles this month will be donated to the family. For those wanting to purchase candles or donate to the benefit, Hunt can be reached at (620) 215-2551.
Joy O'Neal, of the Sharing Bucket, said an anonymous donor and Wood's Supermarket donated the food for the event.
She said there will also be carry-outs available at the lunch, which she hopes the golfers will take advantage of. She also said Community of Christ Church's sister church, Community of Christ in Mapleton, donated extra tables and chairs for the event.
"Our goal is to run out of food and serve as many people as we can," Hunt said. "Desserts and spaghetti...you can't get a better meal than that."
Hunt said she is impressed how Fort Scottians reach out to help their neighbors.
"I think it's wonderful that our community comes together and not only do they donate, but they come together to attend fundraisers and eat, enjoy and socialize, and share everything," Hunt said. "I want so much for this to be successful. I'm so nervous about whether or not it will be successful."
She said those who cannot attend can still donate to the family by calling her.