We Care in Anthem

We Care in Anthem >>> Community
Anthem neighbors reaching out to those in need.

Generosity at its Best
The 3rd annual golf tournament at Anthem turned out to be another great success, with the event raising over $21,000! The We Care at Anthem Crew would like to thank their sponsors for their generous donations. Whenever a child is helped by the organization, every dollar raised represents a bit of hope and relief for that family.

Sponsors include: Greg Hottmann at Farmers Insurance, Chamber @ Anthem, BNA, Hampton Inn, Custom Sign Co, Harper Physical Therapy, Law Office of Florence Bruemmer, Subway, Qwest, OSR, Brack at Windermere, ImagesAZ magazine, Justin Simons at State Farm, Sleepsource, Landmark Home Inspection, Cameo Cleaners, Whitman Financial, Tobias Automotive, Titan Pest Control, Daisy Mountain Real Estate, Town Planner, SafePro, Boettcher Family Dentistry and Chiropractic, Century 21 Desert Estates, AMG Mortgage, Boates & Crump, Lisa Jackson CPA, Nanette McClelland Miller at State Farm, Rehwalt Group, Klein Motorsports/Anthem, Outlets At Anthem, Big Apple Bagels, Water-To-Go, Kirsten and Dave Myers, Dillons Barbeque, Beauty Essentials, Persimmon Bar and Grille, Francos Italian Ristorante, Courtesy Chevrolet, Qwest, Anne's Ice Cream Bars, 1 st American Title, Starbucks, Wells Fargo Bank, Eric Kilstrom, Sunrise Pest Control, Jack Larue, PenWorx, Vision Appraisal Services , Anthem Golf and Country Club, Action Motorsports, Kindercare - Jessica Grub, Cindy Schouten, Michele Celentano - Photographic Artist, Culinary Cuisine, Hedz Salon, Eccentric Gourmet, Donna Johnson, Big Stuff Academy, Joan and Edward Reiter, Healthy Clean Carpet, Linda Budge, Classical Dentistry, Olivia's Home Accessories, Custom Sign Co., Beauty Essentials, Burke and Andrea Helderman, Parkside Portraits, Andy & Louise Tobias, John Austin, Homing Instincts, Kirsten and Dave Myers, Mike Roig at Fox Sports, Daisy Mountain A/C, Rudy Vega/ RV General Repairs, Justina Kerth -Anthem Community Center, Cheryl Rhodes, Hiland Cigars, Phantom Realty - Christine Eyde, Excel/Rayne, The Stork Ladies.

We Care in Anthem
3655 W. Anthem Way,
Suite A-109 PMB 280
Anthem, AZ 85086

A Josh Update - July 2004
It's been 2 years since We Care in Anthem raised over 26,000 for Joshua Thompson. At the time of the fundraiser, he was a 7 year-old, suffering from Medulla Blastoma, a cancer at the base of the brain. But now, Joshua is a happy survivor of the disease, acting pretty much like any normal kid.

Most of the tumor was removed with surgery 2 years ago, and 9 months of chemotherapy took care of the rest. The cancer has disappeared according to CAT scans, but the results of such an invasive surgery left Josh in a wheelchair and with slurred speech.

Josh and his brother Nakiah lived in Columbus, Ohio for a while, but now they are back in Anthem. Josh is out of a wheelchair, but hasn't made a full recovery of motor and speech skills. With help from therapists, he's now starting to walk for fairly long distances, with corrective braces on his ankles. "I've even seen him running through the house, laughing and yelling," says his Dad, Jim Thompson. "We have him in the water often. He loves the pool. He's happier than he has been in quite a while." Although a re-appearance of the cancer is always possible, Jim says that the family is feeling positive, and by the time Joshua is 15 and CAT scans are clean, he'll be pronounced cancer-free.

The Anthem that rallied around Josh 2 years ago is still here for him. "The people and neighbors in Anthem are so wonderful that I can't even express it," says Jim. "When Josh and Nakiah came home from Columbus in the evening, within 5 minutes, there were 25 kids at the door." Jim hopes that he and Joshua can give back some of that support, by helping with future fundraising events. Perhaps in a year or two, we might see Joshua and his Dad playing together in one of the We Care golf tournaments.

We Care in Anthem is currently taking donations for three children with serious illnesses:
6 month-old Jeremy Pascua entered the hospital for the fl u and pneumonia, and was transferred to the Intensive Care Unit at the Phoenix Children’s Hospital because of serious heart problems. Wells Fargo Account #155 7353750	14-year old Patrick Penkalski, a Gavilan Peak eight-grader was hit by an automobile while waiting for a school bus in New River. His serious injuries caused paramedics to medically induce a coma, and he was flown via helicopter to John C. Lincoln Hospital in critical condition. Wells Fargo Account #158 2791248

14 year-old Amber McCulley has a form of cancer called Synovial Sarcoma, and had to be hospitalized at Desert Samaritan Hospital for three weeks. She suffered from breathing and eating difficulties, and side effects from multiple chemotherapy treatments. Wells Fargo Account #145 6416013	4 year-old Brooke York was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia. She will undergo chemotherapy treatments for another eight months, and will receive most of her medications by mouth at home. Wells Fargo Account #251 3305868

Read the Highlights from Past We Care Events