The money will go to send children afflicted with cancer as well as their families to a summer camp.
“The whole family goes … to give them respite,” said Deme Stal-Nash, president of the local group. “Philoptochos” means “friends of the poor” in Greek. The charity group, founded in 1953 as an arm of Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church, held a fundraising event Sunday, but raised only $1,800. There were fewer people than usual in attendance, likely due to the rain, Stal-Nash said. The Philoptochos annually saves February as a fundraising month for the kids with cancer program. The national program sends children and their families to a summer camp complete with nurses and doctors to help care for the children. The Philoptochos arranges and pays for the travel and stay of the families it sends. On a national level, the kids with cancer program has no fundraising efforts and relies entirely on individual Philoptochos groups and other organizations, Stal-Nash said.
“I kind of took it under our wing when I found out about the need,” she said.