Two little girls who went to a memorial benefit party for breast cancer research warmed the hearts of adults when they did something unexpected.
Skylar Marble, 8, of Barberton, and her friend Rilyn Chancey, 7, of Cuyahoga Falls, had been coloring pictures in the coloring books Skylar brought along to keep busy. When they had a stack of masterpieces, they decided to see if they could make a little money for cancer research.
The guests loved the children’s idea and started dipping into their wallets — $5, $10, $20. In the end, the girls raised $190.
Preparing to leave the party, Skylar said, “Santa is very happy with us right now.”
“And so is Jesus,” Rilyn added.
Thanks to Rilyn’s grandmother, Barbara Thompson of the Falls, for sharing the charming vignette. Clearly, giving begins early in both Rilyn and Skylar’s families.
Fun fundraisers
• The Falls Cancer Club, which has been able to financially help more than 1,150 neighbors with cancer because of your generosity, is holding a road rally. It’s designed to promote businesses and organizations as drivers and their navigators compete in a scavenger hunt that will take them through Cuyahoga Falls.
Lineup begins at 12:30 p.m. on Sept. 7 with the first car leaving at 1 p.m. from the Cuyahoga Falls High School parking lot.
Businesses and organizations that would like to be a part of the rally can do so for $50, and must register by Aug. 15. All participating cars will be directed to your business to pick up a promotional item of your choice.
The cost is $25 for those wishing to drive the course. For safety reasons, each vehicle must have a driver and a navigator. Each additional person in a car is $5. Registration deadline is Aug. 29.
For more information or to register, call Bonnie Severt, chairman, Falls Cancer Club at 330-929-2796 or email bsevert@aol.com.
• The Kids 4 Coleman are hard at work planning their annual dessert extravaganza and silent auction to benefit Coleman Adult Day Services.
The festivities will take place from noon to 2 p.m. Sunday at the Kent State University Hotel and Conference Center, 215 S. Depeyster St., Kent.
This year’s event is especially significant because of the deaths earlier this summer of Stephen and Rosemarie Mandalari of Kent. Stephen died on June 11, followed unexpectedly by his wife 23 days later. They were the inspiration behind their grandchildren’s drive to form the Kids 4 Coleman, which focuses on fundraising and support for Coleman Adult Day Services.
“Dad was very ill and we knew he wasn’t coming home from the hospital, but Mom was expected to come home … instead [she] died peacefully on the fourth. We all know Dad came to get Mom because she was heartbroken over Dad’s death,” explained the couple’s daughter, Jean Geopfert.
Coleman Adult Day Services offers compassionate daytime care for frail elderly and adults who struggle with physical disability or cognitive impairment.
Tickets, available at the door, are $15, $30 for a family.
• Boogie the night away at Guy’s Party Center, 500 E. Waterloo Road, in Akron from 6 to 11 p.m. on Wednesday. Lou and Onie Yovanovich, whose son and granddaughter have muscular dystrophy, began a fundraiser 30 years ago to benefit research for the disease. Today, the event is bigger than ever.
This year, Take 3, featuring Larry Alltop, and Fret Daddies will play in two ballrooms.
Tickets, which are available at the door, are $10 for adults and $5 for children ages 5 and under. And get this — that price includes a buffet dinner, dessert, soft drinks, beer, wine, door prizes and entertainment.
For more information, call Onie at 330-419-3004.
Dollmakers update
The lovely women of the Lakeside Terrace Cozy Crafters group in Streetsboro, whom I wrote about earlier, are now making their dolls for the Giving Doll. That’s a wonderful program that gives hope and comfort to children at times of special need, in the form of handmade dolls.
The dolls are donated free to those in need.
Kim Hone-McMahan can be reached at 330-996-3742 or kmcmahan@thebeaconjournal.com. Find her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/kim.honemcmahan.