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Roar for a cure to raise money for children fighting cancer
Aug 18, 09 6:27 PM
Carnival will benefit local children battling illness
Aug 11, 09 1:52 PM
moreThe Max Cure Foundation’s inaugural Roar for a Cure Carnival on Saturday, which was on the grounds of East Hampton Indoor Tennis, had all the trappings of an exclusive Hamptons summer benefit, but the event brought together weekenders and longtime locals for a fun, down-to-earth family day in the sun, just as the organizers intended.
More than 1,000 people from all walks of life came out to support the fight against pediatric cancer and to help the family of 10-year-old Sag Harbor Elementary School student Katy Stewart, who was diagnosed with a rare form of liver cancer in April. Katy is the daughter of East Hampton High School health teacher and wrestling, soccer and tennis coach Jim Stewart and his wife Brigid, a local educator and the current assistant principal of Montauk Public School.
The event grossed more than $300,000 and The Max Cure Foundation for Pediatric Cancer Causes will distribute 25 percent of the net proceeds from the carnival to the Stewart family through Katy’s Courage Fund, an LLC created to assist the Stewart family while they care for Katy. Five percent of the proceeds will benefit the T.J. Martell Foundation for leukemia, cancer and AIDS research, and 70 percent will go to The Max Cure Fund, which was established to underwrite the creation of a pediatric cancer research laboratory at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in Manhattan.
Part-time East Hampton residents David and Annemarie Plotkin created The Max Cure Fund very shortly after learning their son Max, now 6 years old, had a rare form of B-Cell lymphoma back in 2007. They have since raised more than $300,000 for the fund, not including the carnival proceeds, and Max’s cancer is in remission after two years of ongoing chemotherapy.
Both Max and Katy receive treatment at Memorial Sloan-Kettering.
As luck would have it, the beaches were closed due to impossibly rough surf over the weekend, so attendance was strong at the Roar for a Cure Carnival. The event was highlighted by an abundance of games, rides and activities for kids, but along with the face painting, clowns, miniature golf, ring toss and other attractions, adults could bid in a silent auction, which included a treasure trove of rare sports and music memorabilia, exclusive access to local golf and tennis clubs and a host of other tantalizing offerings.
Master of ceremonies for the day, KTU radio disc jockey Goumba Johnny could be seen walking the grounds, encouraging people to bid on items like a guitar signed by Bruce Springsteen and football helmets signed by the New York Jets and the New York Giants.
To the delight of the crowd of teenage girls in attendance, Push Play, an up-and-coming teen pop band played a set at around 4 p.m. “I think it’s very important,” lead singer and Long Island native C.J. Baran said as he met fans and signed autographs. Baran noted that Push Play raised $120,000 for charity on a recent national tour.
Supermodel Christie Brinkley, Sopranos actor Aida Turturro and several former professional football and tennis players, including Chilean tennis star Juan Certa, international golf star Justin Leonard and former New York Giant Vyto Kab, could be seen throughout the day.
“It’s beautiful. It’s a great event, great people,” Stewart said, taking in the impact of so many coming out to support his family. “It’s humbling,” he added later. “Anybody that showed up here today, we owe them a debt of gratitude.”
Katy recently completed her first surgery and she’s had at least five rounds of chemotherapy since April, Stewart said, noting that he expects her to be in recovery through the end of September. Katy enjoyed the carnival on Saturday, but the heat and sun was intense and she left before the end. “There are ups and downs, but so far the good days have outnumbered the bad days,” her father said in an interview before the event.
At the time, Stewart noted that he and the Plotkins shared an understanding the moment they met and working together on the carnival had been an incredible process. “We’re all experiencing the same thing,” he said.
Stewart said the Plotkins had worked very hard to make the carnival possible, but he also noted that teachers and coaches from all the local school districts were invaluable in their efforts raising funds, spreading the word and getting the community to the event on Saturday.
“We knew we’d have a beautiful turnout,” East Hampton Indoor Tennis owner Scott Rubenstein said, noting that all facets of the community were represented, from both sides of the highway. A friend of the Plotkin family, Rubenstein said donating his property for Roar for a Cure was a “no-brainer,” but he insisted that the event also benefit the Stewart family. “We like to have something local involved,” he said, adding, “I’ve known Jimmy my entire life.”
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