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Saturday’s Cashiers festival will grant wishes to seriously-ill kids
At least 37 Western North Carolina children suffer from a variety of life-threatening illnesses, and three of these will have their dreams realized due funds raised at the second annual Make-A-Wish Festival in Cashiers set for this Saturday, Aug. 5, at the Village Green.
The all-day event includes music, a cookout, a silent auction, children’s activities, a bake sale, a sign-up booth for the American Red Cross’s upcoming blood drive, and other activities from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m.
“Many of our wish kids need blood on a regular basis,” said organizer Jennifer McKee. “It’s a perfect partnership for us to provide this opportunity for the Red Cross.”
Two-year-old Ella Day, daughter of Joey and Karen Day, is from Cashiers but currently lives in Webster. Diagnosed at age 8 months with Severe Combined Immunodeficiency Syndrome, more commonly known as “Bubble Boy Disease,” Ella was forced to spend the next year of her life in isolation, with her parents taking shifts by her bedside. Ella has had two bone marrow transplants to date and can now play outside with her brother. She is one of the “Wish Kids” whose dreams will be fulfilled through money raised at this Saturday’s Make-A-Wish Festival at the Village Green in Cashiers.
She and other event organizers are excited about creating a festival experience that will give the Cashiers community something to remember, McKee said.
It’s all about our message of hope, strength, and joy,” said Make-A-Wish Regional Director Carolyn Harrison. “We are hopeful that this year’s event will raise the funds to make several deserving children’s dreams come true.”
The goal of Make-A-Wish is to make the dreams of seriously ill children come true.
“Wish Kids are everywhere,” McKee said. “They are children who suffer from life-threatening diseases and await a chance at happiness through Make-A-Wish. Each child is unique, and each has a different dream, but us, making our kids’ dreams come true is the purpose behind the Cashiers Festival.”
This year, Make-A-Wish has “adopted” two new children in Jackson and Macon counties, McKee said.
The youngest, 2-year-old Ella Day, is from Cashiers and currently lives in Webster. The daughter of Joey and Karen Day, Ella was diagnosed at 8 months with Severe Combined Immunodeficiency Syndrome, which McKee said is commonly known as “Bubble Boy Disease.” The condition forced Ella to spend the next year of her life in isolation, with her parents taking shifts by her bedside. Ella has had two bone marrow transplants to date.
“We couldn’t believe it when they finally told us at Duke that we could bring our baby girl home,” said her mother.
Ella today hardly reflects her trauma, except that her development has been slightly slowed by her time in isolation. She is now beginning to play outside with her big brother, Christopher.
“It’s a whole new world for her, and she can’t get enough,” her mother said.
“This young couple is mature beyond their years,” Harrison said of Joey and Karen Day. “When we first began to discuss wishes, all they wanted for Ella was a sandbox. Once we explained that wishes are bigger than that, they decided to wait and let Ella make her own decision when she is big enough. They wanted a wish for her, not for themselves. I was so very moved by the depth of their devotion.”
When Ella is old enough to understand and express her wishes, the funding will be there, thanks to the money from Saturday’s event, said McKee. “Meanwhile, we’ll see that Ella gets her sandbox.”
Saturday’s schedule
– The silent auction will be held from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. with a large selection of items up for bid.
– Music will include: 11 a.m., The Cash Valley Ramblers; noon, Cashiers Music Company; 1 p.m., The Great Imponderables; 2 p.m., Wild Hog Band; 3 p.m., George Reeves & Co.; 4 p.m., Bill Fisher and His Old-time Buddies; 5 p.m., Mark Vissage (Carolina Backroads); 6 p.m., Pipapelli (Celtic rock with a twist); 7 p.m., Shandy & The Boyz (including Shandy and Ed Conley and C.W. Stewart); and 8 p.m., Windago (The Lanning Brothers) .
– All-day: Balloons, face-painting, information and sales booths, a Red Cross sign-up (for next weekend’s blood drive), snow cones and popcorn, raffles, a bake sale, and an on-site photo studio.
– Cookout will last until 8 p.m., with burgers and hot dogs, plus all the trimmings, donated by Ingles and top area restaurants. To-go plates will be available.
– Children’s activities will last from 11 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. in the Village Play (weather permitting). These include: 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Carnival Time; 3-4:30 p.m., story-telling with Elaine Beuhler (“The Ladybug”); 4:30-5:30 p.m. Living (and Loving) the Past with the Cashiers Historical Society.
– Parking: Festival organizers ask that attendees don’t block near-by merchants’ parking spaces. A festival shuttle will run continuously from the Cashiers Community Center. Parking will also be available at the Cashiers Baptist Church, and in the Summit/Post Office/ Library complex. In the interest of pedestrian and child safety, through traffic will be closed between U.S. 64 and Summit, so please plan on accessing that area from N.C. 107.
“This year’*s festival promises to be a fun-filled day of music and celebration,” McKee said.” All of us at Make-A-Wish hope that you will choose to come and spend Saturday with us at the Village Green.”
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