With their little girl always on their minds, Dave and Jessica Hill continue to carry on the legacy of Addison Hill by raising money for SickKids Hospital, and awareness for childhood cancer.
"Addy said 'keep fighting for the kids,'" Dave said. "So we said we will."
Thousands turned out for a Family Fun Day fundraiser – Team Addy's biggest event – Saturday at Centre Wellington District High School, on what would have been Addy's 15th birthday.
Addy was diagnosed with angiosarcoma, a rare form of cancer, in October 2021.
It didn't stop her from rallying the community to hold a Family Fun Day event last summer, to raise money for sarcoma research at SickKids hospital. She became a SickKids ambassador as a result.
She may have passed away a day after the 2022 event, which raised $212,568, but her parents continue to put in the work to raise funds.
This year, the goal is to hit $500,000. As of Saturday afternoon, the Team Addy website said over $230,000 has been raised.
All funds raised will go directly to Dr. David Malkin, who was Addy's oncologist, for his research.
"It's not going to administration fees, it's not going into SickKids marketing, it's not going to any of that," Dave said. "It's 100 per cent going to the right guy for cancer research."
The event included a three-on-three basketball tournament, a slam dunk competition, carnival games, live music, a chance to soak local school principals and more.
A SickKids representative was also on site to collect donations.
"When it comes to childhood cancer, most people don't know what to look for," Dave said. "The signs to look for, when to get things checked, and we know that even letting it go a month or two is not good.
"We're hoping that eventually, a cure will be found."
And they're not doing it alone, as it seemed the entire community was out. The parking lot quickly filled up, and so did the shuttle bus location.
"There's no truer saying than 'no one fights alone' because I cannot do this myself," added Jessica. "All the donations. All the community support. All the people that volunteered. I have over 100 volunteers for this event.
"All the participants, basketball, everything. It's here because of everyone's love for Addy, and I just couldn't be happier."
What do you think Addy would make of the turnout?
"I don't think she could be any more proud," Jessica answered. "Seeing this here today, I don't think she'd be any more proud."
If you weren't able to make it out, but would still like to donate, you can visit the Team Addy website.
