Carnival to Raise Money for Brick Township Children with Brain Cancer

The upcoming 6th Annual Avery's Carnival honors the memory of four year old Avery Lubrecht, a Brick resident who died of a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer in 2008.

Avery's mother, Stacy Olsen, says her daughter took classes at Standing Ovation School of Dance in Brick and was very upset about missing her recital while undergoing treatments. After her death, the dance school came up with the idea of starting the carnival in Avery's memory.

Olsen says she was amazed at the scope and magnitude of the carnival, which gets bigger each year and raises up to $12,000 for local families in treatment.

Olsen tells WOBM news pediatric cancer is miserably underfunded, saying all 12 pediatric cancers combined receive less than four percent of The National Institute of Health's research budget annually. She notes that while breast cancer research receives $400,000,000 to $800,000,000 for research, all 12 pediatric cancers combined only receive $2,000,000.

Olsen says she has discovered some unpleasant political realities. She says some pediatric brain tumors are terminal upon diagnosis because no new protocols have been developed and in some cases, no new medication in 30 years.

Olsen says supporting smaller fundraisers for pediatric cancer can make a difference and raising awareness all year, not just during National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in September.

The 6th Annual Avery's Carnival is being held October 20th, at Standing Ovation School of Dance at 627 Mantoloking Road in Brick Township, 1 to 5pm. Parents are free with a $20.00 donation per child for a wristband. There will be rides, a bouncy house, a video game truck, face painting, airbrush tattoos, carnival games, pumpkin decorating, food and music.