We Care Golf Tournament

Perhaps the best testament to the amazing work that We Care Anthem has done on behalf of seriously ill children for the past nine years is a beaming Josh Coppoth who was happily volunteering at this year’s annual We Care Golf Tournament in a red tee-shirt proclaiming “Cancer Sucks.” For the past three years, the event has benefited him, and he is currently cancer free and enjoying life, as well as the opportunity to give back to the organization that helped him during his time of need. According to his mom, attending the event is the highlight of his year.

This year, there is one young person who desperately needs the proceeds of the tournament. Katie Wagner, a sixteen-year-old sophomore at Boulder Creek High School is battling stage four Rhabdomyosarcoma which has metastasized to her bones and lungs. On Friday, Nov. 18, the community came together to support her and her family and the result was an amazing $14,000 collected on her behalf, to be placed in her We Care account for medical expenses.

There was also an auction held on the same day, by ACTS (Anthem Cares Through Service), and some of the proceeds were earmarked for Katie Wagner. The auction was made possible by not only many business owners who were generous in their support of the cause through donations, but also a cadre of volunteers who worked tirelessly in preparation for the auction.

As we all know, while money cannot erase the medical trials that a child has to endure, it can certainly make the journey less stressful for the child and his or her family. If you missed the We Care Golf Tournament and ACTS Auction, there are still opportunities to make a difference through We Care Anthem. One of these opportunities is by purchasing a raffle ticket for the 2012 Ford Focus donated by Sanderson Ford to help the Wagner Family. The vehicle is currently parked outside of The Children’s Place at the Outlets at Anthem. Tickets are currently on sale until December 23 when Katie Wagner will pull the winning ticket and make it a very Merry Christmas for one lucky ticket holder. Tickets are $5 each and available for purchase at the following businesses during normal business hours:

Justin Simons, State Farm:

Safeway Shopping Center

(3655 West Anthem Way)

Wood Orthodontics:

(3618 W. Anthem Way #D108 behind CVS)

Yogurt Garden:

Fry’s Shopping Center

(39504 N. Daisy Mountain, Ste. 104)

Sanderson Ford:

(6400 N. 51st Ave., Glendale)

A very big “thank you” to all of the people who are making these donations possible, especially to Sanderson Ford, and the other business owners in the community who have taken the lead and have demonstrated what it means to get into the spirit of the season!

A We Care in Anthem account has been set up for Katie Wagner at Mid First Bank, the account number is 2033005575. We Care is a 501c3 Anthem AZ non profit corporation. Created in 2001 to help families with children with life threatening illness. We Care is a volunteer run corporation and 100% of the funds will benefit Katie and her family. If you are going to make a donation that requires a receipt for tax deductible benefit, mail your check to We Care in Anthem 3655 West Anthem Way Ste A-109 PMB 280 Anthem, AZ 85086 or visit Mid First Bank in Anthem.