- Last Updated on Sunday, 30 August 2020 18:17
Adding 2nd Venue to Fulfill Young Cancer Patient's Wish
Due to the high volume of ticket sales, ‘Team Livi’ is relocating its Sept. 12 spaghetti dinner fundraiser from St. Mary's Hall to the Brownsville Sons & Daughters of Italy (SOI), creating a brand-new opportunity to make a wish come true for a 10-year-old girl battling a rare form of brain cancer.
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Olivia "Livi" Sealy, daughter of Shannon and Ron Sealy of Hiller, will get her wish – a live band and the ability to be present to enjoy some of the day's festivities in her honor. Livi will be treated to private performances in St. Mary's Hall by the Classics and her former dance troupe from DeeDee's Studio of Dance at the same time as the spaghetti dinner in the SOI Lodge. Because her immune system is so fragile, she will be watching the show from a mezzanine window.
More than 1,200 spaghetti dinner tickets have been sold to date, which has far exceeded expectations. An experienced and skilled kitchen crew, like that of the Sons of Italy, is needed to ensure the day runs as smoothly as possible. The SOI team has volunteered its services and its lodge at 16 Race St., Brownsville.
"It quickly became evident that the Sons' crew is the only local group that can serve this many dinners and do it efficiently. We are truly blessed to have two top-notch venues donated for free to help us make Livi's day truly special," says Annette Buffer, who chairs the Team Livi committee.
The site change also increases parking capacity and results in better traffic flow for an event that is practically sold out. There is no dine-in service. Dinners will be take-out only from 12 noon to 6 p.m. Runners will be available for ticket-holders who prefer curbside pickup.
Area residents have donated nearly 70 raffle baskets to raise additional money for the Sealy family, who is facing at least one year of treatments and multiple trips each week to Pittsburgh. The baskets will be set up on the SOI lodge's main floor, which is accessible by stairs or a ramp at the side of the building. Chances also will be sold on a three-minute shopping spree at Riverside Family Market, a large-screen TV and 50/50 drawing. The Society of Catholic Women will be selling baked goods.
"The Brownsville area's outpouring of support has been phenomenal. Donations are pouring in every day," Buffer says. "We'll permit walk-ins without dinner tickets if they're interested in buying chances on raffle items, but their hands will be stamped to avoid any confusion."
The dual events will be live-streamed on Team Livi's Facebook page, creating a memorable keepsake for the Sealy family. The spaghetti dinner and Livi's private party will follow the PA Department of Health's COVID-19 guidelines, including a mask requirement.
The Mon Valley Academy for the Arts and the Power of Music will use Chevron grant money to cover the professional band's private gig for Livi. Major sponsors for the event also include Riverside Family Market, Hiller Volunteer Fire Department, Jerry's Catering in Republic, Penncraft Market in the namesake community, Coca Cola Co., Panera's in Uniontown, Jackson Farms Dairy and Brownsville Fire Co. 1.
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