BROWNSBURG — Aiden Spoor loves to dance. And he especially loves to dance for his fellow cancer patients at Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital at St. Vincent.
Aiden’s love of dancing and having fun spurred his mother, Jen Spoor, to action. She, with the help of many others, has organized a “kids’ prom” for local families.
“This will be a very family-oriented evening,” Spoor said. “It will be for any family that would like to participate.”
She said knowing your child has cancer changes a parent’s perspective.
“You learn that family time is so very important,” she said. “We all need to slow down all the hustle and bustle and do more things as a family. And this is something a family can come and experience together.”
She said, “Aiden loves to dance and show off for the other kids at the hospital. The kids who are in the clinic together never really get together for fun. This is one way we can do that. And invite other people to come and have fun with us. No chemo — just a fun way to celebrate.”
During the evening, there will be games, photos, and a prom court.
“We’re going to have little princes and princesses,” she said. “They will all be patients from Peyton Manning (Hospital).”
The Spoors live in Brownsburg and have come to know many families dealing with cancer. Aiden Spoor is a second-grader and attends a Brownsburg school.
“He really is an amazing boy,” Spoor said. “He’s carried us through this.”
She said her son is doing very well medically, and is keeping up with his school work.
“He hasn’t missed hardly any days,” she said. “We’re in a maintenance phase of his treatment. We just got done with nine months of the rough stuff.”
Spoor said she’s gotten help from several people in the community, including several high school students.
“Two Brownsburg High School students, Mackenzie Cheney and Brady Smith, are helping us as part of their senior project,” she said. “They’re collecting donations for the silent auction.”
There’s also a group of students from Ben Davis University High School that have volunteered to help.
“They caught wind (of the party) and volunteered to help run some of the stations during the event,” Spoor said.
Fanchon Stinger, a news anchor from FOX 59, will be serving as the emcee for the event. There will also be appearances by Purdue football players and the Indy 500 festival queen.
“Our celebrities will be doing things like leading the ‘Chicken Dance,’” she said. “Mayor Ballard said he was going to try to make an appearance, but it’s not confirmed yet. I sure hope he does. The kids may not know who he is, but the adults will get a kick out of it.”
Participants are asked to come in semi-formal attire.
“Aiden wants to rent a tux,” Spoor said. “I told him that was a but much.”
Under the Big Top Kids’ Prom will run from 5 to 10 p.m. Feb. 2 at the Wyndham Indianapolis West. Tickets must be purchased by Jan. 28.
The cost of the Under the Big Top Kids’ Prom is $15 for children and $30 for adults. For more information on tickets, visit the “Pray for Aiden” Facebook page or a website walled http://kidsprom.eventbright.com/.
Organizers are also still looking for sponsors and items for the silent auction. To help with those items, visit the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/PrayForAiden and leave a message.
Funds raised will go to support Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital at St. Vincent.
brenda.holmes@flyergroup.com
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