Skate-a-thon Raises Over $13k for Katy's Courage

The blizzard couldn't put a damper on the Katy’s Courage Skat-a-thon this weekend.

The second annual event, held at the Buckskill Winter Club in Wainscott, raised $13,500 on Sunday, one day after a winter storm dumped about a foot of snow on the South Fork. It was originally scheduled for Saturday, but was postponed due to the snowstorm. 

A not-for-profit organization created to honor Katy Stewart, a North Haven resident who died at the age of 12 from hepatoblastoma, a rare form of pediatric liver cancer, Katy's Courage raises money for pediatric cancer research and bereavement counseling. The foundation seeks to support families through scholarships, donations and a long-term investment in creating a childhood bereavement center on the East End. 

Katy was a seventh-grader at Pierson Middle School when she died on Dec. 30, 2010. Many of the girls from her class were at the event helping out. 

More than 100 skaters attended the event, which also included a bake sale.

Katy’s favorite color — pink — decorated the winter club in the form of ribbons, streamers and "Katybug" logos. Seventy-five pink flags were flying high, along with pink balloons, and there was a big pink heart and a "Katybug" logo painted on the ice. 

Did you or your children attend the Skat-a-thon on Sunday? Leave a comment if you support Katy's Courage.