Rebecca Slattman, Defiance, Ohio
Carnival helps fight cancer
Rebecca Slattman of Defiance, Ohio, shared the story of a community carnival to benefit Tiana Bishop, a 9-year-old battling rhabdomyosarcoma, a form of cancer.
Rebecca learned a lot when she became a member of Tiana’s benefit committee. She learned that gold is the color of children’s cancer. She also learned that together, a few people can make a big difference.
As a member of the children’s activities and games committee, Rebecca helped brainstorm ideas and recruit hundreds of volunteers to help with the event, which included inflatable activities, a dunk tank, clowns, face painting and yard games. Months of planning came to life when more than 1,000 community members attended the event.
“The outpouring from the community and the school was overwhelming,” said Rebecca. On the way home that night with her husband and children, Rebecca saw a falling star shoot across the sky. It was the perfect end to a perfect day – a day in which several thousand dollars was raised for the Bishop family to help with their ongoing medical and everyday expenses.