By Khalida Sarwari
Every young person with cancer looks forward to the day when they are free of the disease. For one day a year, Courageous Kids Day gives them a chance to check their illness at the door for a day of fun at Great America theme park.
This year’s Courageous Kids Day brought together 440 families from all over California, according to Imi Blatz, who co-chaired the event along with Frad Rude. The day consisted of rides, photos, entertainment, food, a DJ, games and visits with Kristi Yamaguchi and Brandi Chastain. Pop singer Jasmine Villegas, whose mother works at Great America, performed some of her songs, as did American Idol contestant and San Jose native DeAndre Brackensick.
“Honest to God, this was the best year we’ve had,” Blatz said. “It ran like clockwork. Everyone was happy. We were blessed this year.”
Upon entering the gates, each family received three tickets, Blatz said. One ticket was for a pack of goodies for a child with cancer that includes items such as a water bottle, sunscreen and a yo-yo. The second ticket was a voucher for lunch, which was a baked chicken meal or hot dogs, along with a few sides and access to an all-you-can-eat ice cream bar, which not surprisingly is one of the more popular features with the kids, Blatz said.
The third ticket was for photos taken at the park by a professional photographer.
“After they’re made, they are sent to each family,” Blatz said. “This is a particularly poignant and wonderful thing that happens every year.”
Each child received a hat to wear for the day, and because the event was held on Mother’s Day, every mother and grandmother received a corsage.
Courageous Kids was started nearly 25 years ago by Gay Crawford, a cancer survivor herself, who recognized that the American Cancer Society didn’t have any programs geared specifically toward children and youth, so she brought together people from different sectors to organize a daylong event for kids at Great America.
“We call this event a day away from cancer,” said Blatz. “We want every child to feel like every other kid in that park.”
Organizers receive about $13,000 in funding from the ASC to host Courageous Kids Day at Great America annually. The tickets and lunch are provided by Great America. Courageous Kids is also heavily dependent on volunteers. About 200 people volunteered for this year’s event, including young people who have survived cancer and people such as Clareen Dunivin, who taught kids how to make quilts.
The event, Blatz said, gives youths up to 18 years old a chance to be carefree for a day and gives their families an opportunity to create lasting memories. Courageous Kids has brought together people from as far away as Reno, Nev., Oregon and Ventura County. This year, a little more than half of the families came from the Central Valley, and many were native Spanish speakers.
“It’s such a wonderful day,” Blatz said. “This is something the kids look forward to all year long.”
