Fundraiser for boy with cancer

Local storm chasers are hosting a snack table, auction and music to support the parents of a sick little boy.

The fundraiser is called Chase for Nate and takes place the evening of Aug. 27 at the Evergreen Centre. Tickets cost $5 each and doors open at 6 p.m.

Nathan Sew is a three-year-old local boy who has battled cancer and an autoimmune disorder ever since he was 14 months old. Proceeds from the event will help his parents Lacee and Oren pay for expensive medical costs.

One of the organizers of Chase for Nate is Artur Pyzalski. He and Oren became friends when they started chasing storms together about three years ago.

"It started from the storm chasing. One day, we talked about his boy getting diagnosed with the tumour," Pyzalski said.

Ever since then, it's been a challenging few years for the family, with Nathan's numerous sojourns through the health-care system documented by a Facebook page called, "Nates Journey".

Lacee had quit her job to care for her son. Oren had been laid off, only recently finding work again, with months to go before gaining eligibility for company benefits.

Most recently, the tumour Nathan was initially diagnosed with when he was 14 months old, located in his abdomen, had grown to the size of a baseball, Pyzalski said. Most of it was removed but Nathan is still in hospital, being monitored for blood clots.

Many in the community have stepped up to support the Sews, Pyzalski said, including Hartley's Equipment Rentals, which has pledged to donate five per cent of its August revenue to the Aug. 27 fundraiser.

As well, he plans to invite storm chasers to show off their souped-up storm-chasing vehicles.

"I'm talking to people in Calgary, I'm talking to people in Saskatchewan, I'm talking to people in the United States. I'm not exactly sure how many vehicles will be from the storm-chasing community but definitely I will have some," Pyzalski said.

There is also a GoFundMe page set up for Nathan Sew: www.gofundme.com/chasefornate

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