03/18/13 The 2nd Annual St. Paddy’s Day Dash for Hope at Plymouth High School took place on Saturday, a cold and cloudy day. The weather hampered turnout for this year’s 5K that was a benefit for a PHS sophomore.
Hope Banghart was diagnosed in June 2012 with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML). This is a fairly rare form of cancer with limited treatment options. Hope has been treated at Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis with several rounds of chemotherapy, including an experimental chemo treatment. She also received a bone marrow transplant from her sister, Christine.
Hope is just now starting to go out in public with her mask on. She must wear the mask because she has a very immature immune system and cannot fight off normal infections. She was at the St. Paddy’s Day Dash and seemed to really enjoy time being back with her classmates and friends.
The first St. Paddy’s Day Dash in 2012 was for Eric Day. A 2011 graduate of PHS, Eric was diagnosed with a brain tumor the fall of 2010 and spent nearly a month in Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis going through treatment. In December 2011 a routine MRI showed that the tumor was growing again. He underwent a month long proton radiation treatment which shrunk the tumor. Feeling great, he is currently a sophomore at Butler University.
Participants in the 2nd annual St. Paddy’s Day Dash registered in the Multi-purpose room. They had the opportunity to get a quick massage from Preventative Medicine, pick-up some homemade baked goods from staff and students at Lincoln Junior High School, register to be a bone marrow donor with Be The Match and buy some pulled pork sandwiches from Bruce’s Big Grill.
More than 100 showed up to brave to cold temperatures to run and or walk the race that started east on Baker Street, then right onto Columbus, another right on to Berkley and north in front of Plymouth High School into Centennial Park. Participants went back by the sledding hill and then up through the park to the office where they turned south on Michigan Street to Baker Street and back to the football field. Members of the PHS Baseball team were along the route to direct participants in the right direction.
More than 260 t-shirts were sold prior to the run you still have time to help raise money. T-shirts are $10 each and available at PHS.
