#Love4Logan: Dance Studio Holds Fundraiser for Pediatric Brain Cancer Victim
On Sunday, September 25, community members gathered together to celebrate the life of Logan Gibbs, an aspiring dancer who passed away due to brain cancer in August 2016 at the age of six.
Roneisha Smith-Davis, owner and founder of B’Ella Ballerina Dance Academy (1124 A Buttonwood St.), helped to put the “Love 4 Logan” event together in memory of Logan, who loved to dance at the academy.
Dancers showed off their skills at a dance-off during the #Love4Logan charity event.
“We’re bringing everyone together to bring awareness to cancer and raise money to help find a cure,” Smith-Davis said. “This is a fun way to remember her and highlight [the cancer] she had.”
The event took place at the Hank Gathers Recreation Center on the corner of Diamond and 25th Streets. The event started with a barbeque and charity basketball game before dancers performed in front of the crowd in honor of Logan. Raffles, food, giveaways and vendors were also on hand for attendees to enjoy as they celebrated Logan’s life. The event wrapped up with a speech from Logan’s mother sharing the story of Logan’s battle with the Astrocytoma Glioma that took her life.
The Yane School of Dance was one of the many who performed during the #Love4Logan event.
Logan’s mother, Nakia Gibbs said, “[Today] is helping her legacy live on. I remember her saying one day, ‘Mommy, I want to be famous’… and this is the start of that.”
Nakia Gibbs, mother of Logan Gibbs, addresses the crowd at the #Love4Logan charity event.
The Love 4 Logan event was a launching point for the nonprofit organization Gibbs plans to start November 6, 2016 in honor of Logan’s birthday.
“We will be reaching out to families that have been or are going through what I went through. We will be hosting events, and spreading awareness about the Astrocytoma Glioma tumor that Logan had,” Gibbs said.
Two girls performed a dance for the crowd at the #Love4Logan event.
According to the American Brain Tumor Association, astrocytomas are tumors that arise from astrocytes—star-shaped cells that make up the “glue-like” or supportive tissue of the brain. These tumors are “graded” on a scale from I to IV based on how normal or abnormal the cells look. There are low-grade astrocytomas and high-grade astrocytomas, which are usually localized and grow slowly. High-grade astrocytomas grow at a rapid pace and require a different course of treatment. Most astrocytoma tumors in children are low grade. In adults, the majority are high grade.
Both basketball courts were filled with players for the #Love4Logan event.
