Newsroom

Cavs Roll Out the Red Carpet to Help Young Fans

October 13, 2010

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Cavs players walked the red carpet on Wednesday with some of their smallest fans.

For the second year in a row, center court at The Q became a runway for a fashion show to raise money for Flashes of Hope. The Cleveland-based organization goes inside hospitals across the country to snap pictures of kids coping with a serious illness.

"This is like a birthday party atmosphere and they celebrate," said Allison Clarke, the founder of Flashes of Hope. "We have make-up artists and music and the families are together and they're laughing and even for 15 minutes, they're forgetting that they have cancer and they're just being kids."

Clarke founded the organization eight-years ago when her son was diagnosed with cancer. "A lot of times, people look at the photographs and they say, 'Well, that's a beautiful picture of a child' and that's what we want them to say. We want them to see a beautiful child, not necessarily a sick child."

"Well, I think this is the best thing in my life," said Zechariah Wood, 7. He was a guest of honor at the event along with his mother, Danielle. "Right now, he's dealing with an elbow bleed which is part of his hemophilia," said Danielle Wood. "But he's doing okay now and he just felt like being here today and we're excited about it."

Cavs forward Antawn Jamison was on hand along with several other players and the team owner, Dan Gilbert who credits the team for making a difference in the community. "The team has really got a great spirit and we feel really good about it and we're gonna keep building and work hard everyday," said Gilbert.

Flashes of Hope plans on taking pictures of half the kids diagnosed with cancer in the United States. The event also raised money for the Cleveland Children's Tumor Foundation.

For more information on Flashes of Hope, go to www.FlashesOfHope.org or visit www.CTF.org for information on the Cleveland Children's Tumor Foundation.

http://www.fox8.com/news/wjw-flashes-of-hope-txt,0,1258983.story