We’re back this year with our 5K mini-series, “Every Runner Has a Reason!” Today, we’re featuring Tony and his motivation for participating in the Casey Cares 5K.
Tony’s running journey began because he “wanted a way to cope after working long hours during the pandemic.” He heard about the Casey Cares Foundation through a longtime friend in Baltimore and thought “a 5K through the Baltimore Zoo would be a fun experience!”
His favorite part of running is that “it’s challenging, and it makes me want to push myself to find out how far I’ll go.” Tony adds that he can’t run without his phone because he “would be lost in the woods without it!”
Tony’s advice for new runners is to remember that “it’s a journey that’s meant to have highs and lows. Enjoy the process and have fun!”
Thank you Tony for supporting the critically ill children in our programs through your 5K participation! Grab your phone like Tony and sign up for Casey Cares 15th Annual 5K/1-Mile Walk on August 3rd! T-shirt deadline is July 13th – tap here!
In the wilds of Cleveland, Ohio, Casey Cares embarked on an unforgettable adventure with “Crits for Casey Cares” – a live Dungeons & Dragons fundraising game that captivated audiences and raised crucial funds to support critically ill children.
Held at the Southern Tier Brewing on June 29th, the event invited guests to witness the epic journey unfold at the brewery with hundreds more tuning into the YouTube livestream. We’re thrilled to announce that donors, sponsors, and attendees helped us raise $14,000 to support Casey Cares programs for critically ill children and their families!
One of the most exciting announcements came in the form of Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett, who joined the adventure alongside Casey Cares teen Colton and his brother Cameron. Colton, who was declared cancer-free in December 2023 after battling embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma, dove fully into character as a barbarian dwarf, complete with an ale mug, horned-warrior helmet, and fur cape.
The event was orchestrated by Brandon Tharp, an Ohio native and TTRPG content creator known for his captivating storytelling, as well as Johnny Stanton, a former Cleveland Browns fullback and avid Dungeons & Dragons enthusiast. Garrett and Stanton have been playing D&D together since 2020!
Thank you to Erin Martin and Joanna Radov on our Young Professionals Board for helping this event run so well! We extend our immense gratitude to our sponsors and in-kind donors: Western & Southern Life Insurance, Prime Sports, Brewnuts Donuts & Beer, GV Art & Design, and Canton Symphony Orchestra.
The event may be over but you can relive the exciting moments on our YouTube, simply tap here or view below. Don’t forget to check out our appreances on WKYC, News 5 Cleveland, and Cleveland.com!
We reeled in a big one…the 7th Annual Casey Cares Rockfish Tournament that is! The event featured a fun day of fishing, with over 30 boats out on the water trying their luck. The evening brought a celebration at our post-tournament Captain’s Party, where guests enjoyed a fantastic feast of rockfish, an open premium bar, a rousing live auction, and lively music from the Doug Segree Band.
We’re thrilled to announce that donors, sponsors, and attendees helped us raise over $144,000 to support Casey Cares programs for critically ill children and their families.
WUSA9’s Great Day Washington show host Kristen Berset, a longtime supporter of Casey Cares, joined us to emcee our Captain’s Party. The Masters family joined the party to share a firsthand account of their son Maverick’s journey after a leukemia diagnosis and the lasting memories they have made as a family thanks to Casey Cares.
Casey Cares is forever grateful to our board members John and Maggie Sovero along with the rest of the Sovero family for putting on this event!
This year’s Captain’s Challenge proved to be the best one yet as fundraisers competed against other boats to see who could raise the most money for our kids. Congratulations to Justin Burns with COPT who won the Captain’s Challenge, raising more than $26,000 and Ryan Webb with Delmarva Site Development for coming in second place at $20,050! Give a cheer to Tim Goodrich for winning first place in the tournament by hooking the longest fish at 28 1/4 inches and for being awarded our Champion of Children for the event! Shoutout to Casey Cares board member Julia Arfaa for coming in second place with a rockfish length of 26 3/4 inches.
A big thank you to our host, The Inn at the Chesapeake Bay Beach Club, for making this event so special, year after year.
We extend our immense gratitude to our Gold Sponsor: COPT and Silver Sponsors: Arfaa Law Group, Boat Lifts Unlimited, BZB Construction, Delmarva Site Development, Live! Casino & Hotel, Shaw Electric, True North Remodeling, and Verint.
Thanks also to our generous in-kind sponsors: 100.7 The Bay, Carter, DowntownDiane.net, Durango Boots, Focus On Women Magazine, Gander’s Car Wash, First Team Staffing, Georgia Boot Company, Huk, Molly’s, Muck Boots, Redline Bowhunting, Ridgely’s Auction Service, Rocky Brands, SKB Fishing, Bay Beach Club, Ridgely’s Auction Service, Persona Triangle Sign Services, Trophyline, White Clover Floral Events, WCBM, and Xtra Tuf.
Happy Father’s Day to all of Casey Cares dads, uncles, stepfathers, grandfathers, and father figures! Fatherhood is a profound journey, one that comes with its own unique set of challenges and responsibilities. But when a child faces medical complexities, the experience takes on an entirely new level of complexity and difficulty. Casey Cares father Jason reflects on fatherhood as the parent of Evan, a heart transplant survivor, this Father’s Day.
“Father’s Day is important to me because it’s another opportunity to make memories and spend time as a family. Being a father of three wonderful children is truly one of life’s greatest gifts. I cherish these moments with my wife helping to guide our children through the many beautiful and tumultuous moments of life.” Jason – Evan, Maddie, and Jack’s father.
In Michigan, Charley celebrated his 9th birthday and is Casey Cares’ 535th birthday this year!
Casey Cares knows that for a critically ill child, each birthday is a special milestone celebrating life. For the children in our programs, it not only marks another year, but it also demonstrates a great achievement. Casey Cares staff and volunteers work hard to send out each of our kids a special birthday package through our Birthday Blast program – we send over 1,000 a year! This simple act of kindness delivers joy and hope to our kids who are undergoing treatment.
Meet Charley
Alissa, Charley’s mother states, “Charley was diagnosed right before he was supposed to start 4-year-old preschool. He had his annual check-up with his doctor where they always do a finger poke blood test. Charley’s blood counts came back very low and he was diagnosed within a day. He had no signs or symptoms that we had noticed – so it was a complete shock to our family.”
Charley’s diagnosis with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. After bravely battling for over a year, Charley reached the maintenance stage in his treatment this past September and he is “handling it all well!” according to Alissa.
The mother of three notes the difficulties of being a parent to a critically ill child. Alissa explains, “The difficulties we have faced include Charley having to take so many medications and the periods where he had to stay at the hospital so much. The support from foundations like Casey Cares, our family and friends, and from our entire community has helped us cope – knowing so many people are rooting for Charley really helped!”
One month after his leukemia diagnosis, Charley’s social worker reccomended him for Casey Cares programs! Since joining, Charley and his older sisters have received pajamas and crafts, Movie & Pizza Night packages, and more.
“Our favorite activity was going to Jurassic Quest with the tickets provided by Casey Cares. It was special to us because it was something we could do as an entire family; Charley and his sisters loved it!” says Caroline.
Alissa appreciated, “the pajamas for Charley and his sisters the most. When Charley was first diagnosed, it was a very hard time for our family. With Charley being in the hospital so much, all of our routines were completely changed. When the package of pajamas and other surprises for a movie night arrived from Casey Cares, the kids were all so excited. It meant so much to us that the foundation not only cares about the child going through the treatments but also their family as well.”
As Charley turns six, he will celebrate by having a party with his family! “Throughout his treatment we have had to miss a lot of family get-togethers, so we are excited to be able to celebrate!” says Alissa.
Want to support more programs and fun activities for critically ill children like Charley? Donate here!
In Ohio, McKinley celebrated her 9th birthday and is Casey Cares’ 560th birthday this year!
Casey Cares knows that for a critically ill child, each birthday is a special milestone celebrating life. For the children in our programs, it not only marks another year, but it also demonstrates a great achievement. Casey Cares staff and volunteers work hard to send out each of our kids a special birthday package through our Birthday Blast program – we send over 1,000 a year! This simple act of kindness delivers joy and hope to our kids who are undergoing treatment.
Home After 218 Days
One month after her seventh birthday, McKinley’s family received devastating news. Caroline, McKinley’s mother states, “McKinley was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia on June 27, 2022. McKinley had been tired, pale, and complaining of tummy pain leading up to her diagnosis. We took her to the doctor and had blood work done and they were supposed to call us the next day with results, but we ended up taking her to the ER instead of waiting and the news that no parent ever wants to hear, “your child has cancer,” was given to us.”
She continues, “We were transferred by ambulance to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and her chemotherapy treatment began. She was in remission for 6 months and then had a relapse in October of 2023. She received a bone marrow transplant in January 2024 from a cord blood donation. Her bone marrow biopsy results are all clear and 100% donor cells.”
Currently, McKinley just returned home after spending 218 nights at a Cincinnati Ronald McDonald House and will go for once-a-week checkups!
The mother notes the difficulties of being a parent to a critically ill child. Caroline explains, “During the last 2 years, we have spent a combined 464 nights away from home at the Ronald McDonald House in Cincinnati. When McKinley was first diagnosed, our youngest was 4 months old and still not willing to take a bottle. I remember my Dad being the one to work with him around the clock to finally get him to take a bottle!”
“We also had a 2-year-old and a 4-year-old, so the logistics of trying to care for the other kids while still being at the hospital with McKinley were overwhelming at times! We are so thankful for our family, who took turns driving in from TN, our church family, neighbors, and homeschool community that has loved and cared for us so well during this long and challenging journey. We could not have done this without them!” she continues.
The family credits their faith in playing a big part in going through their daughter’s cancer journey. “Our favorite Bible verse has been Colossians 1:17. There have been so many things out of our control that we have had to pray and trust the Lord and know He would give us the strength each day to walk this journey. Jesus has been our foundation along the ups and downs of this journey.”
Along For the Journey
After joining Casey Cares in 2022, McKinley has received pajamas and crafts, Movie & Pizza Night packages, attended a holiday light show, and more!
“Since we have been limited on actually attending events due to McKinley needing to be careful due to her being immunocompromised, we have loved the movie and pizza nights that we have been able to have at home! It was fun picking out a movie to buy, ordering pizza and getting snacks, all thanks to the gift cards that Casey Cares provided for us!” says Caroline.
She adds, “McKinley remembers getting a fun Lego set from Casey Cares! It’s been a blessing to have the support of such an amazing organization. It makes you feel known and loved during a time that can feel like you are missing so much and just wanting a sense of being a normal kid.”
Caroline has been “very grateful for the support that Casey Cares has provided for us during these past 2 years since McKinley was first diagnosed with leukemia. I especially remember loving the package that was sent with new pajamas for McKinley and her 3 siblings. They all had fun opening the package and seeing their new pajamas and wearing them!”
As McKinley turns nine, she will celebrate by having a virtual party with her cousins. “She’s sending them party favors in the mail [with] Pokemon cards!” Caroline states.
Read more about McKinley in the Wilmington News Journal here! Want to support more programs and fun activities for critically ill children like McKinley? Donate here!
In D.C., Zhyla celebrated her 7th birthday and is Casey Cares’ 590th birthday this year!
Casey Cares knows that for a critically ill child, each birthday is a special milestone celebrating life. For the children in our programs, it not only marks another year, but it also demonstrates a great achievement. Casey Cares staff and volunteers work hard to send out each of our kids a special birthday package through our Birthday Blast program – we send over 1,000 a year! This simple act of kindness delivers joy and hope to our kids who are undergoing treatment.
Meet Zhyla
Having joined Casey Cares in 2019, Zhyla has loved going to Unicorn World, attending a Doja Cat concert, watching Monster Jam and the players at Baltimore Ravens Training Camp, seeing the stunts of UniverSoul Circus, receiving Movie & Pizza Night packages, and more!
With Casey Cares, Zhyla’s mother Angela appreciates, “how the kids get offered so many local events. One the nicest experiences was the Mother’s Day Tea Party. Casey Cares thought about mothers which other cancer foundation don’t really do, mainly it’s about our children.”
She adds that for her daughter, “The birthday box and pajamas were so nice since we were away or in a hospital. The movie package is so nice too!”
Testing and Challenges
Angela first knew something might be wrong with her daughter when “she was getting a lazy eye. I wanted to get glasses early before the vision got worse. [The doctor] told me to go to Children’s Hospital in DC as soon as possible. She was diagnosed that afternoon after testing. [More testing showed] that she had a rare eye cancer condition called Bilateral Retinoblastoma was going blind from tumors.”
“We started at John Hopkins Hospital and now are in NYC every 4 weeks for last three years. Her left eye tumors are aggressive and there are a lot of them,” Angela states.
The mother also shares her the ripple effect of her daughter’s cancer diagnosis. “I had stop my profession as head Sous Chef at MGM, my dream career, to become a hands on mom 24/7. We’ve been living out a suitcase and since every 4 weeks we are going back and forth on the highway to the doctors.”
For Zhyla’s birthday this year, she requested ” a YES Day and to go to the beach!” says Angela. She is excited to take her daughter as she will be in remission in early June.
Want to support more programs and fun activities for critically ill children like Zhyla? Donate here!
We had a great day on the greens at our 21st Annual Casey Cares Golf Tournament!
The sunny Monday at the prestigious Baltimore Country Club was filled with great rounds of golf and fierce competition, lunch, and a cocktail awards reception all to benefit the critically ill children in Casey Cares’ programs!
With over 20 foursomes present, we wanted to congratulate the winners:
Winning Foursome: TJ Keilty, Bryan Schafer, TJ Jager, and Steve Pipich with Keilty Bonadio
Longest Drive, Woman: Mallary Toth
One of the most moving parts of the day was when a Casey Cares mother, Mariana, spoke about how much impact our programs have on her family’s life and that of her daughter Natalie, who has spastic paraplegia and is quadriplegic. She said, “I want to say thank you to Casey Cares for having such dedication, devotion and love. Casey Cares helps lighten up kids families and lives with all the beautiful opportunities!”
Since 2022, Natalie and her family have received tickets to the Maryland Zoo and special yarn wigs, attended the ballet and our Mother’s Day Tea Party, visited Disney On Ice and Unicorn World, and more!
Casey Cares expresses our heartfelt appreciation to our top sponsor ReThink Water! A big thanks to all of our sponsors, in-kind donors, and golf committee who helped make our tournament such a success!
This event was also made possible thanks to sponsors Alliance Material Handling, Inc., American Breadcrumb Company, Bay Harbor Wealth Management, Cypress Wealth Management, The DiMayo Family Foundation, Eagle Bank, Evergreen Advisors, Firstrust Bank, First National Bank, Fry, Keilty Bonadio, Lincoln Financial Group, Morgan Stanley Capitol Wealth Management, Offit & Roth P.A., Cornerstone Advisory, Phoenix Sales & Marketing, Polun, SC&H Group, Persona Triangle Sign Services, Vytex Windows, and Whiting-Turner.
Thank you to our in-kind donors: Mid Atlantic Photography, Maryland State Golf Association, DowntownDiane.net, Focus On Women Magazine, White Clover Floral Events, WCBM Talk Radio, Smyth Jewelers, and Pics By Missy.
May was an exciting month for our external fundraisers! From the weight room to the fairway, our dedicated supporters found creative ways to rally behind Casey Cares’ mission. Swinging a kettlebell turned into swinging a golf club, as community members supported Casey Cares critically ill children and their families.
Swing-A-Thon
Casey Cares supporters and board members David Beares, and his wife, Abby, owners of 39 Minute Workout, did some heavy lifting to support the critically ill kids and families in our Casey Cares programs! The Casey Cares 10th Annual Kettlebell Swing-A-Thon event swung in as another super successful event as community members have raised more than $150,000 over the last nine years! Thanks again to everyone who created a fundraising page or came out on such a sunny day and swung a kettlebell! You truly made a difference in the lives of critically ill children!
Tee It Up for Casey Cares
A few weeks later, Derby Real Estate Development and VYBE Realty hosted their 3rd Annual Tee It Up Golf Tournament! Held on The Woodlands Golf Course.From mini contests, prizes, snacks, and even a helicopter golf ball drop, participants had a great day supporting the critically ill children and their families in our Casey Cares programs! Thanks to the generosity of its sponsors and participants, the event raised close to $100,000 over the past three years.
Couldn’t attend the events but still want to donate? Tap here!
The Casey Cares Foundation partnered with the Baltimore Orioles to bring a special evening to Casey Cares child Jacob, who is eight years old and diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition that requires brain surgery to manage. He also has two types of epilepsy as well as cerebral palsy and walks with a walker.
Jacob, or Jake, attended Orioles batting practice with his family where he met players like Austin Hayes and got signed baseballs, before throwing the game’s first pitch with the help of his older sister Madeline. Having been an O’s fan since he was three, Jacob’s favorite Orioles game memory was meeting the Oriole Bird for the first time.
Thanks to Casey Cares, Jacob has been in Casey Cares programs since 2019. With his sister Madeline, he has attended the Nutcracker Ballet and Turkey Hill Experience, visited the Maryland Zoo, received Movie & Pizza Night packages with pajamas, and watched the dinos at Jurassic Quest and more!
“Jacob’s favorite event was going to the Laurie Berkner band concert and meeting her afterwards – it was such a special and memorable day!” Jodi, his mother, says.
Jacob was born extremely prematurely and had a brain bleed, which caused his hydrocephalus diagnosis and has resulted in six brain surgeries.
His mother, Jodi, says that her son, “was born at 26 weeks and suffered a brain bleed (intraventricular hemorrhage) on his 4th day of life. The clotting from the brain bleed led to his hydrocephalus diagnosis within a couple of weeks.”
Jodi continues, “He was too small for surgical intervention at the time so we watched in agony as his head swelled with fluid and he suffered what amounted to a protracted traumatic brain injury. He had his first brain surgery at around 2 months old and ultimately had a shunt implanted in his head. He has now had 6 brain surgeries and we never know when he’ll need another one.
“He was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy around age 1, and then epilepsy around age 2. He has other related conditions that impact his daily quality of life. Despite it all, he’s the happiest, sweetest little guy!” she states.
The mother of two says that each brain surgery was terrifying.
“As parents, we could never have imagined having to see our child carted off to the operating room to have a brain surgery… but we knew that these surgeries would keep him alive so there was no other choice. Jake, like many others with hydrocephalus, has what’s called a shunt. With hydrocephalus and living with a VP shunt, we know that at any point it could fail and he’ll need another surgery. We have to live with this fear every day, but are so grateful for each day that goes by without another surgery!” Jodi finds.
She adds, “While he has many challenges that impact his life daily, physically, medically, and cognitively, he brings so much joy to everyone he meets! He teaches us all about perseverance, love, and joy! His big sister, Maddy, is also the most amazing little advocate. She is so proud of her brother and does all she can, even at 10, to raise awareness of his conditions. We marvel at her maturity and are beyond proud of her!”
The Baltimore Orioles have partnered with the Casey Cares Foundation for over a decade, providing the nonprofit with tickets for critically ill children to watch baseball games and batting practice. Thank you Baltimore Orioles! Did you know you can donate baseball tickets all season long to our kids, wherever you live? Give us a call at 443-568-0064 to transfer them today!
