Sunday afternoon the Monkey Crew against DIPG held their first annual Family Fun Day Fundraiser to honour 7-year-old Sevanah Simmons who sadly lost her battle to DIPG in September 2015.
The event was held to raise awareness and funds for research regarding DIPG which is a highly aggressive and inoperable brainstem tumour. Currently, DIPG has a zero percent survival rate and researchers are at a stand still in terms of finding a treatment or cure. The crew hopes to have raised 1,000 dollars to put towards Dr. Hawkins' Lab at Sick Kids in Toronto as he is one of the few researchers in the world dedicated to researching DIPG.
Photo Credit: KelownaNow
The Monkey Crew brand was inspired by Sevanah's large collection of stuffed monkies and her bright imagination. "She had 30-60 different monkies and each one had a different personality, backstory, and voice," said Sevanah's grandfather.
Sevanah's mother, Angelina, has gathered an entire crew and together they have been fighting under the Monkey Crew name to provide some much-needed information to the community about DIPG. Recently, Ms. Simmons has succeeded in establishing May 15th as "DIPG Awareness Day" in BC and has her sights set on establishing it as a national day of recognition.
Photo Credit: KelownaNowSome of the Monkey Crew members
Photo Credit: KelownaNowSevanah's Grandfather spoke about the crew's mission and Sevanah before the march
Family and friends of Sevanah all gathered at the park to celebrate her life by taking part in an abundance of fun activities. From bouncy castles to face painting, there was something every child could enjoy. At 3 p.m. the group took part in a Mini Monkey March, a brief nature walk through Mission Creek Park to walk in unity against DIPG. Children were encouraged to bring their favorite stuffed animal on the walk with them, as Sevanah would have done the same.
Photo Credit: KelownaNow
Photo Credit: KelownaNow
Photo Credit: KelownaNow
Photo Credit: KelownaNow
This event was not only a wonderful way for people to gain knowledge on DIPG and support the cause but to celebrate and remember Sevanah. If you would like to donate and learn more about The Monkey Crew and their mission you can visit their website.
Photo Credit: Contributed
For more photos of this wonderful event, click here!
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