Hope Recreation Center Fall Newsletter - Vol. 2 No. 3

COLOR FOR CANCER

Hope Recreation Center held its first 5k Paint Run on Oct. 13 at 8 a.m.

in downtown Oklahoma City. The event rose awareness about kids who are living with cancer. Children and their families participated in the event and shared their stories throughout the day.

Every kilometer of the run, participants were splattered with a different color of paint. At the end of the race, everyone was colored up for cancer and had a great time at the final color celebration.

Blake LeForce, vice president of Hope Recreation Center, felt the organization’s first 5k Paint Run was a success.

“I think the Paint Run was a fun and creative idea,” LeForce said. “The whole idea of this organization is to let kids be kids, even if they have cancer. Participating in this event showed these kids that they have an incredible support system right here in their community. It was also fun!”

Paisley Hampton, a 7-year-old participant that has leukemia, also participated in the event.

“It was great to see all of my friends from the hospital,” Hampton said. “I didn’t recognize some of them because they were all better and looked different. I was happy that people came out to support kids like me. It made being sick a little better.”

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INSIDEColor for Cancer ................. 1

Letter from the president .... 2

A Cure Without Medicine .. 3

Volunteer Spotlight ............ 4

Upcoming Events ............... 4

HOPE RECREATION CENTER Life’s a game. Play it.

Brandon Kobs Director of Media Relations

405-431-6168 brandon.kobs@hoperec.org 2

continued from page 1

Hampton and her family were among the two thousand people in attendance at the event. Together, Hope Recreation Center and all the participants raised $304,625 for the Oklahoma Children’s Cancer Association. “This is a huge accomplishment for the first Paint Run,” LeForce said. “Seeing the results from this year makes me excited for next year! I think all the kids had a blast, too. That’s the main reason we were there. We’re grateful for all the participants and volun-teers that helped make this event happen. We couldn’t have done it without them.”

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENTI cannot begin to express how much joy I have received from everyone involved in Hope Recreation Center. A long time ago, I had this dream of giving sick kids their lives back. I wanted to help them remember who they are, not what they must overcome to feel normal again. That dream became a reality when I started Hope Recreation Center.

I would like to thank everyone that supported me in helping this dream come true. It wasn’t an easy road. I faced many obstacles. At times it was difficult for me to keep going. That all changed when the doors opened. I saw the first kid walk up the stairs with his mother. His name was John.

John had lymphoma. He was 7 years old. He and his mother took a tour of the facility and they engaged in some of the activities we had to offer at that time. From then on, John came to Hope every Tuesday and Thursday after school. For the next 6 years, John was among the many kids that were enrolled in the program. When John turned 17, his sickness was treated.

It’s kids like John that inspire me to keep going. He has seen this organization from the start and has watched it grow. He now volunteers at the organization and helps kids that have lymphoma play sports.

Kids like John wouldn’t have had the opportunity to benefit from this organization if it wasn’t from all the support we receive. Recently, the Paint Run raised $304,625 for the Oklahoma Children’s Cancer Association. I was blown away by that amount! It’s a blessing to see how that will help change kids’ lives across Oklahoma.

Hope Recreation Center received a small portion of that money as well as anonymous donations from participants of the event. I am proud to announce that Hope will be adding a whole extra wing to the facility. This new wing will include new music and art rooms. The old rooms will be remodeled and be used as activity rooms.

I’m truly thankful for all the support we are receiving from the community. Most importantly, it’s you all who are helping to change kids’ lives. That’s what matters most.

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Imagine going to elementary school wearing a wig. Haley Bryan looks in the mirror and adjusts her wig. She takes it off and puts it on again. She’s nervous. Today is her first day as a fourth-grade student at Highland Park Elementary School in Stillwater, Okla. With a reassur-ing nod from her mother, she’s knows it’s time. Haley has chronic leukemia, a slow developing cancer of the blood cells. According to kidshelath.org, chronic leukemia is rare, accounting for fewer than 50 cases in the United States each year. The chemotherapy has made Haley lose her hair, leaving her with a blank canvas to decorate as she sees fit. Today she chose blonde. Haley climbs in the back of her mother’s white Ford sedan and buckles her seatbelt. She hums along to the radio from the back seat and occasionally sings a phrase of the popular song. Her mother looks in the rearview mirror at her daughter. The cancer has taken a toll on her but she won’t give up or let Haley see it in her eyes. They’re both fighters. At Highland Park Elementary, Marcia Bryan un-buckles Haley, hugs her and hands her two purple pills. Marcia gets back in the sedan and looks once more at Haley as she walks toward the school. The pharmacy is only two blocks away. Marcia walks right up to the desk and is greeted like an old friend. Without a word, the pharmacist goes to the back and gets Haley’s medicine. Marcia isn’t a stranger to him. For two years she has gone to this pharmacy to get her daughter’s prescriptions filled. With a smile, she takes the bag and

walks back to her car. It’s noon now and Marcia plays with her food. It’s clear she’s still thinking about Haley and her fist day at school. “She’s strong, you know,” Marcia says. “Some-times I think she handles this situation better than I do. The support system for her is huge. When I drop her off at Hope Recreation Center she’s the happiest I’ve seen her since she’s been diagnosed. I owe a lot of the credit to them.” Hope Recreation Center is an organization that provides creative and fun therapeutic activities for children

who are diagnosed with cancer. The pur-pose of the organization is to provide a cre-ative outlet for these children and provide an uplifting and encouraging environment. School’s out and Marcia drives back to the school to pick Haley up. It’s time to drop her off at Hope Recreation Center. From the backseat, Haley has a huge smile on her face. Marcia parks the car and Stacy

Stevens, an employee at Hope, meets them in the parking lot. “We’ve got a fun day ahead of us,” Stacy says. “All the new art supplies came in the mail today and are ready to be put to use! We’re painting flowers today.” Haley grabs Stacy’s hand and together they walk up the stairs toward Hope. “Sometimes the cure doesn’t come from medicine,” Marcia says. “Haley really knows how to be a kid at Hope. I think that’s the best treatment.”

“She’s strong, you know. Sometimes I think she handles

this situation better than I do.”

A CURE WITHOUT MEDICINE

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UPCOMING EVENTS Oct. 13 - 5k Paint Run

Oct. 31 - Halloween Carnival

Nov. 14 - Music Showcase

Nov. 23 - Thanksgiving Football Game

Dec. 7 - Clothing Drive

Dec. 15 - Christmas Program

VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT: KRISSY GILBERT

Volunteers are the sole operators of Hope Recreation Center. They provide the services and duties that allow the organization to function. While some

have full-time jobs, a volunteer also sacrifices their free time to help the organization in any way possible.

Krissy Gilbert has been a volunteer at Hope Recreation Center for three years. She teaches music therapy on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 3:30 - 4:30 p.m. She also helps out at the front desk on her off days.

“It’s a blessing to be able to provide these kids with music therapy,” Gilbert

said. “Everyone can relate with music. It helps them express their emotions. The kids pick which songs to sing and we sing them. It’s amazing to see how happy they can get just by singing a song. It’s like they forget about their situations and just have a great time.”

There are about 13 kids in Gilbert’s class. Sometimes more, depending on the day.

Heather Flinkerton is a student in Gilbert’s class. She’s 13 years old and is also in the local middle school’s choir.

“Ms. Gilbert’s class is different from my school’s class.” Flinkerton said. “At school we sing songs that the instructor wants us to sing. Most of the time it’s a song we perform at competitions. In Ms. Gilbert’s class we can sing any song we want, depending

on our mood. When we aren’t in the mood to talk or have had a bad day, we can sing about it. It helps us express our feelings without actually having to talk about them. It really helps.”

Gilbert has many activities planned for the current semester. In November, they plan on attending local productions of “The Wizard of Oz” and “The Phantom of the Opera.”

“I think it’s important to introduce these kids to local performance theater,” Gilbert, said. “The arts help kids develop creativity and inspiration.”

Gilbert hopes that by this time next year, her class will have grown to 48 students. With the new arts wing being under construction, it’s certainly a possibility.