EVANSVILLE—The Graham family is grateful for the support they have received from the Manitoulin community rallying around six-year-old Sadie of Evansville as she battles acute leukemia in Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto. Two highly successful fundraisers were held in the past week to help support the family during this difficult time.
“We never expected this type of support. You’d better believe the community support is overwhelming,” stated Rick Graham (Sadie’s grandfather) after a fundraising picnic and auction put on by the Burpee and Mills Township Volunteer Fire Department on Thursday of last week. A second fundraiser, a spaghetti dinner and silent auction, was put on by Deanna and Tim Hardy and the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 514 in Gore Bay this past Sunday evening.
“Rob and Jess (Sadie’s parents) are the same as me, they can’t believe the tremendous support we have received,” said Mr. Graham. “It is Nicole, Deanna, Tim, their kids and the community that have done all of this.”
The bidding was furious with auctioneer Robbie White taking bids on the picnic baskets which were each filled with enough food for at least two people. Bidding on one picnic basket went for as much as $400.
“We had a total of 43 baskets,” said Nicole Middleton, who explained, “everything-all the food, water and soft drinks in each basket were donated. Everything was donated by members of the community.” She pointed out Purvis Fisheries donated coolers to keep the food cold and fresh for the auction.
“We are so grateful to everyone who helped out, and donated items for the food baskets,” said Ms. Middleton. She said a total of $3,770 was raised in the picnic basket auction to be donated to the Graham family.
The spaghetti dinner silent auction held Sunday evening at the Royal Canadian Legion in Gore Bay drew a huge crowd of people from all over the Island. The dinner started at 5 pm and as of 45 minutes later 200 people had been served dinner with at least 100 more taking in the dinner during the evening. The event was organized by Deanna and Tim Hardy.
There were well over 60 items up for bid in the silent auction, donated by businesses around the Island.
Sarah Gagne (Sadie Grahams aunt) helped serve the dinner. “This is incredible. I am kind of emotional seeing how many have shown up for the dinner-auction and the many people who are volunteering here this evening. Our family is very grateful for all the support.”
“If Rob and Jess (Sadie’s parents) were here they would also be very emotional with all the support the community has shown, it is incredible,” said Ms. Gagne.
Mr. Graham, who is the Burpee and Mills fire chief, told The Expositor that Sadie is undergoing chemotherapy treatments at SickKids. “She will be in the hospital for at least a month, and maybe longer. It is fortunate the doctors at the Mindemoya Hospital didn’t waste any time, they sent Sadie to SickKids in Toronto immediately.”
As was reported in last week’s edition of The Expositor Sadie had not been feeling well and so her grandparents took her to Mindemoya hospital where they did bloodwork, and the bloodwork came back abnormal. So, doctors at the Mindemoya Hospital had her transferred by ambulance to the Manitoulin East Airport where she was airlifted to SickKids Hospital with her mother Jess on August 2. She underwent a battery of tests and was diagnosed with acute leukemia.
