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Beacon Correspondent
It was a chili cook off, but there were monkeys at one booth. Local citizens, dressed in bright yellow monkey shirts, sold banana splits to benefit the There's a Monkey in my Chair Foundation in honor of local 6-year old Ethan Craig, son of Shawn and Stacy Craig of Ferndale.
The Craig family has received the love of this community and they wanted to do something to give back. That is how Sarah Reback, Lindsi Reback, Laurie Newman, Nicole Foley, Kim Emmons, Joy Victorine, and Byrd Mora came to create the monkey booth during the Fortuna Rodeo Chili Cook-off.
Ethan Craig was diagnosed with Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma Cancer in December 2008 when he was just 4 years old. After a year of treatment and missing the start of kindergarten, his cancer is back. Ethan has ben treated at Lucille Packard Children's Hospital since December of 2008, and the local community has joined together to help raise money for the medical expenses. It was during this time that Laurie Newman discovered the organization “Monkey in my Chair” and requested a backpack for Ethan.
The There's a Monkey in my Chair Foundation was founded in January 2009 as a branch of The Love Chloe Foundation which was created in March 2008 in honor of Chloe Feyerherm who at the age of 6 was diagnosed with a Diffuse Intrinsic Pontune Glioma, which is a tumor on the brain stem. Chloe lost her battle in October 2007 and her mother Heidi Feyerherm, aunt Keri Feyerherm, and close friend Deanna Morgan formed the Love Chloe Foundation five months later. There's a Monkey in my Chair provides backpacks to children fighting cancer. The backpacks contain monkey, journal, disposable camera, photo album, smaller monkey, book entitled “There's a Monkey in my Chair,” and other items. The idea of the backpack is to raise awareness and provide comfort to children fighting cancer. Many of these children do not make it into the classroom and some that do leave often. The large monkey in the backpack sits in the child's seat at school. The camera, journal, and book can be used by the classroom or child to send messages back and forth and provide support and comfort, as well as a since of normalcy.
There's a Monkey in my Chair Foundation can be found online at www.theresamonkeyinmychair.org where you can create a fundraiser for the cause or request a backpack. Founder Heidi Feyerherm said that the organization has furnished over 400 backpacks in just over a year in 40 different hospitals nationwide, “and over 100 have been sent out directly by personal request just as Ethan Craig's was received ... the UK has their own chapter where they fundraise for their children.”
The Monkey gang at the Fortuna Rodeo Chili Cook-off received an abundance of support from local businesses. Organizer Sarah Reback explained, “We received our bright monkey shirts from Wyckoff's, ice cream from Humboldt Creamery, sign from Fortuna Vinyl Graphics, and split supplies from Sysco. We are really happy to do this and the Craig family wanted to give something back.”
As the evening came to a close and chili samples disappeared, the citizens continued to look for relief from the spice. To the benefit of the Monkey Booth they worked eagerly to provide banana splits and eventually raised $700 for “There's a Monkey in My Chair” on behalf of Ethan Craig. Lindsi Reback said, “I can't believe how generous people are, thank you so much for helping us raise $700 at the Chili Cook-off for a great cause. What a huge success!”
1. Chloe Feyerherm, who passed away October 2007, for whom "There's a Monkey in My Chair" and Love Chloe Foundation was founded in March 2008.
2. Ethan Craig, a local recipent of a Monkey in my Chair backpack, with his family in December 2009.
3. Chili Cook-off Monkey in my Chair Girls from left to right Kim Emmons, Joy Victorine, Sarah Reback, Lindsi Reback, Karissa Hall, and Laurie Newman who requested the backpack for Ethan Craig.
