Dawson VanSickle, stepson of senior lecturer Candace VanSickle in the Dept of Human Development and Family Science
The 13th Battle of the Cents-es fundraiser will benefit Dawson VanSickle, a Red River High School student diagnosed with a rare bone cancer last year.
The annual competition between NDSU student ambassadors from the College of Health and Human Sciences and College of Engineering runs from April 8 to April 12.
Cash, coin and Venmo donations will be accepted. Coins and Venmo will be counted as positive points toward each college’s total. Dollar bills will act as negative points that will be subtracted from each college’s total.
Donations can be made on campus in Aldevron Tower, the Construction Management Engineering Auditorium and the Memorial Union.
In-person donation times are April 8-12, with Ambassadors taking donations from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. from Monday to Thursday and 10 a.m. to noon on Friday. Venmo donations can be made anytime the week of the event at @HHSAmbassadors and @ndsu-coe.
A kickoff event including ambassadors from each college and the VanSickle family will be held on Sunday, April 7 at 1 p.m. in the Oceti Sakowin Ballroom at NDSU’s Memorial Union.
“This has been a long-standing event for the College of Engineering and the College of Health and Human Sciences,” said Taylor Garrett, an NDSU pharmacy student and special events chair of the College of Health and Human Sciences Ambassadors. “It allows us to come together, have friendly competition, and raise money for a great cause. Helping those in our community is one reason why we choose to go into the profession that we do, and this is a great way to do just that.”
VanSickle went into the doctor for what was thought to be a football injury, only to find out he has Osteosarcoma, a rare bone cancer diagnosed in about two percent children with cancer. Strong doses of chemotherapy began soon after, and VanSickle spent many days and holidays in the hospital to recover after each dose. VanSickle had a life-saving surgery this year on Jan. 2 at Mayo Clinic-Hospital, where his left leg was amputated above the knee. He will continue chemotherapy through the end of May, and with an anticipated healthy checkup in July, he will be fitted for a prosthetic and complete a two-week bootcamp at Mayo to learn how to walk and eventually run again.
Funds collected from Battle of the Cents-es will go toward his continued care. His stepmother, Candace VanSickle, is currently a senior lecturer at NDSU in the department of human development and family science.
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