SUAMICO – The Bay Port STINGCANCER club – led by founder and advisor Stacy Baynes – is hosting its eighth annual “Carnival for a Cure” Friday, Feb. 9, from 5-7 pm in the Bay Port commons/union prior to the Pirates’ varsity boys’ basketball game against Preble.
Highlights of the carnival include games and prizes, bounce house, mini golf, face painting, henna, Nerf war, raffle, bake sale, cotton candy, petting zoo and more. There is no admission to the carnival itself, but a 16-stamp card can be purchased at the event for $5. Some of the activities – such as the petting zoo – will not require a stamp.
This year’s event hits closer to home, as one of Bay Port’s very own – Delaney Wahl – has a rare form of vascular cancer called Epithelioid Hemangioendothelioma (EHE). Wahl has been fighting EHE since 2014. Due to the rarity of the cancer, there is currently no cure or set treatment plan, as well as little to no funding done for research. Most funds are raised directly by the families affected.
Because of this, Delaney and her parents started a non-profit – The EHE Foundation – in 2015 to try and raise money for EHE research.
Proceeds from this year’s STINGCANCER event will go directly to that foundation to help Laney find a cure. People can visit the website (http://fightehe.org) to donate.
Wahl is a junior at the high school, a member of the Bay Port STINGCANCER club and will be speaking at halftime of the game.
“This event is also really cool in that we work together with Preble’s STINGCANCER club,” said Baynes. “This is the second year of us working together where members come and help by running games, working side-by-side with ours. They bring their Hornet mascot and we have our Pirate, and they give each other a hard time – all in good fun! It’s neat to see.”
To help raise as many funds as possible for Wahl and EHE research, a very special event shirt has been created. It’s in the EHE awareness colors of red and yellow (tie dye) that glows in the dark. There are sizes ranging from youth small up through 3XL. They will be available through the event, but sizes are only guaranteed for preorders. Orders can be made through Baynes at the high school ([email protected]) with checks made out to Bay Port.
There will also be the ever-popular “Miracle Minute” during the game itself, where members of the STINGCANCER club and a local youth basketball team will go around to people in the crowd asking for donations – this year specifically for Wahl and EHE research.
The Bay Port boys’ basketball team is currently near the top of the Fox River Classic Conference, so come early to help support Wahl and EHE research before you watch the Pirates against the Hornets.
Please help by attending the event, donating funds to EHE research and sharing this story.
Note: look for a story on Delaney herself in the very near future!