Tight-knit Pearisburg community comes together for those in need
One of the country's smaller cities, Pearisburg, VA still finds a way to help the community during the holiday season.
September 22, 2024
Pearisburg, Virginia is by all counts, a small town. There isn't a whole lot to do, and they have a population of under 3,000. However, that doesn't stop their tight-knit community from stepping up to the plate and providing a space of comfort for those in a dark place. At the Pearisburg Community Center, a small, old area in Southwest Virginia which was once home to the Pearisburg Red Devils High School from 1940-1961, has now become the hub for Cancer Kids and Christmas.
"Hearing the word cancer from your doctor is always scary," said Travis Sparks, who founded Cancer Kids and Christmas in 2012 after he was diagnosed with cancer. "It changes your perception of life, and it causes so much strain on your family. I don't wish it on anyone." The financial and mental stress it put on the Sparks family was inconceivable, and it inspired Travis to found this organization.
Cancer Kids and Christmas is to ensure all families with a loved one dealing with cancer get to have a Christmas. They've raised well over $165,000, with all proceeds going to the families in need. They'll distribute food to the families during the holiday season, and run a toy drive, handing out toys and trinkets to the kids.
2019 was Cancer Kids and Christmas' most successful year, raising well over $65,000 while being able to assist two dozen families that were facing the same mental and financial anguish that the Sparks family themselves endured in 2012. All over Giles County in Virginia, the community flocks to the Pearisburg Community Center to chip in during the holidays.
"It's a blessing every year. I'm just thankful for everyone who helps make everyone's Christmas better," said Sparks, who plans to run Cancer Kids and Christmas once again in the coming months.