A fundraising effort on behalf of one of Jefferson’s young ladies and as part of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month continues through the end of September.

Tabatha Shahan tells Raccoon Valley Radio they are accepting donations of Play-Doh, Silly Puddy, slime and bubbles at Home State Bank through September 30th to be donated to Blank Children’s Hospital in Des Moines. She says the kick-off for this year’s fundraiser was last Friday’s Go Gold Game at the home high school football game against Clarinda, which Tabatha’s daughter Avril was the kid captain. Avril was diagnosed with a form of leukemia in 2017 when she was just three years old. Tabatha says Avril relapsed earlier this year and has been receiving chemotherapy treatments. 

Tabatha recalls that moment when she and Avril went onto the field before the beginning of the game.

“Avril obviously loved that. It was funny. The coaches came up to her and talked to her. They couldn’t believe how much she had changed from last year. You know she walked out onto that field (last year) as bald as it gets. She has hair now and she’s grown quite a bit. I have a little video clip just of them announcing her and talking about her being the warrior and hero of the game. The whole crowd just kind of roared. It was so humbling to hear that and to know that she has all that support behind her.”    

Tabatha says she continues to do fundraising efforts like this to bring additional awareness for childhood cancer. She points out only four percent of funding is devoted to childhood cancer research and that over 17,000 kids annually are diagnosed with cancer. 

“So if you can get more awareness to something as simple as Play-Doh and give back to Blank (Children’s Hospital), it’s just kind of a way to give back to either the ones that have done something for me and for Avril or the ones that will be that next kid that are diagnosed.”  

This fundraiser has been ongoing since 2018.