BY MELANIE BUCK –
What originally began as a 5K fundraiser quickly turned into an all-out Family Fun Day after word spread of 7-year old Ty Thacker’s diagnosis. As this community has routinely exhibited, multiple groups have come together to support the Thacker family through a very trying time. Ty is the son of Ron and Tonya Thacker of Mena. Ty was recently diagnosed with B strain of Acute Lymphoid Leukemia and is currently undergoing treatment Arkansas Children’s Hospital.
The Family Fun Day will be held on Saturday, September 13, at Mena’s Bearcat Stadium. The festivities will begin with a 5K race. Early registration forms can be found by clicking here: [button color=”red” size=”small” link=”http://mypulsenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Ty-Thacker-5K-Entry-Form.pdf” ]ENTRY FORM[/button]
The day of the race, registration will open up at 6:30 a.m. and the race will start at 8 a.m. Awards will be given for the top qualifiers in each age division.
Lunch, provided by Tyson, will be chicken, potato salad, beans, a roll, and drink, served from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Plates will be $5 each. The Crossing will provide a hot dog lunch for kids for $5 per plate. Music group City on a Hill will provide entertainment during lunch hours. Martin’s Auction will hold a live auction beginning at 1 p.m. and a guest speaker from the “Sharing JED Foundation” and “Sharing JED Outdoors” will also be on hand.
A Water Slide and Spiderman Bouncy house, provided by TLC Memorable Events, will be on site from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., along with a dunking booth. Armbands for unlimited play will be $10 per person. First Baptist Church will have The Frosty Hawg while Corie Bush will have a lot of ‘Ty Decor”, hairbows, etc. Other activities for the day will include a watermelon seed spitting contest, watermelon by the slice, face painting, a card making table where attendees can make a card for Ty, and much more.
About Author
Jeri Pearson
Jeri is the News Director for Pulse Multi-Media and Editor of The Polk County Pulse. She has 10 years of experience in community focused journalism and has won multiple press association awards.
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