Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.
Date: 8/29/2022
HOLYOKE – Greg and Nora Schmidt had their lives shaken up earlier this year when their 7-year-old daughter Maddie was diagnosed with pediatric brain cancer. Now half a year into her battle, the Schmidt family has received overwhelming love and support from their communities and have organized to help raise money for their daughter and awareness for her illness.
Magic for Maddie was formed earlier this year and has been preparing for their Sept. 11 5K – 2 Mile Family Fun Walk and Carnival event at Ashley Reservoir in Holyoke. The nonprofit is still accepting registrations for the carnival portion of their fundraiser, but the race portion is already at registration capacity.
After learning of their daughter’s diagnosis, Nora left her teaching position to support Maddie full-time. Maddie has undergone a biopsy at Boston Children’s Hospital, six weeks of radiation at Baystate and is now proceeding with a clinical trial through Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
One of the organizers of the event and Maddie’s aunt, Jenn Capshaw, said after first learning of the diagnosis, Maddie’s brothers Will and Patrick and some of their cousins brainstormed ideas to do something fun for their sister. As ideas were thrown around, the Schmidt family decided to come up with a fundraising event that also promoted Maddie’s interests.
“She’s a super fun, energetic little girl and you know we say, ‘we need some magic right now,’ and she loves magicians. So, the idea was born to do a carnival-type event and get a magician and sort of just bring as much light and magic to the world as she brings to ours, so it came from her brothers and her cousins,” Capshaw said.
Capshaw explained they don’t have a specific fundraising goal other than to make money to help offset and support the medical costs the family is currently facing. She added that both of Maddie’s parents are looking to give a portion of the money raised to the pediatric brain cancer community to pay it forward.
The fundraising event will include food and ice cream trucks, live musical performances, bounce houses, a magic show, games, a dunk tank, a raffle and much more. You can still register for the carnival portion of the event at magicformaddie.com. The carnival is a $35 registration fee for adults and $15 for children 1 to 14 years of age.
Both of Maddie’s parents are from Holyoke but the family lives in Southampton. According to Capshaw, both communities have been vigorous in their support for this cause and registration for the race/walk portion of the event is already filled.
“There’s been such an outpouring of goodwill since Maddie was diagnosed, and people wanting to do something,” Capshaw said. “We really wanted to channel this horrible thing that she’s going through into a positive thing, and you know, bring some goodness and hope for everyone.”
Capshaw said the event is really focused on raising money for Maddie’s treatments and the status of the event in the future was unclear as of now. She added that regardless, the lead up to the first Magic for Maddie fundraising event has shown how much support and love community members are giving to the family during their challenges.
“We are beyond appreciative. Just blown away and so grateful for everything that everyone’s done to step up for Maddie and her family,” Capshaw said. “We are just taking it all in and grateful for everything.”