SOUTHAMPTON, Mass. (WWLP) – Southampton’s second Magic for Maddie 5k will be held in honor of a young girl who lost her 10-month battle with brain cancer.
While 8-year-old Maddie Schmidt lost her 10-month fight against diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), an aggressive form of brain cancer, her legacy lives on. The nonprofit created in Maddie’s name, Magic for Maddie LLC, will pay it forward during the second annual Magic for Maddie 5k 2-mile family fun walk and carnival on Saturday, Oct. 14th.
In honor of Maddie’s 9th birthday, the event will be held at Ashley Reservoir and the Holyoke Elks (250 Whitney Ave, Holyoke, MA) and will include a whole day of fun and food & ice cream trucks, live music, bounce houses, magic shows, games, a dunk tank, a raffle and much more for families of all ages.
Registration is $35 for adults, $15 for kids, and $100 for families. It includes all carnival activities & entertainment, a Magic for Maddie t-shirt, and your choice of ice cream or complimentary beer or wine. There’s free parking.
Magic for Maddie was created during the summer of 2022 to raise money for DIPG research and Maddie’s clinical DIPG trial at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. DIPG kills 90% of kids within 2 years of diagnosis, the median survival time is 11 months, and the overall survival rate is less than 1%.
“Although cancer is what took Maddie’s life, it is not her legacy,” said Nora Schmidt, Maddie’s mother. “In eight short years, Maddie loved deeply, shined brightly, and inspired a community with her kindness, tenacity, and sparkle. We want to thank our amazing community for your support during our darkest hours and we hope this event will bring a little of Maddie’s magic to all who attend. We know Maddie will always leave a little sparkle behind wherever she goes.”
Last year, the Magic for Maddie committee held a 3v3 basketball tournament to benefit the Maddie Schmidt Memorial Scholarship at Hampshire Regional High School. The city also plans to build Maddie’s Magical Playground, the first ADA-compliant and wheelchair-accessible playground in Southampton.
Maddie’s fundraising initiatives raised more than $150,000 for local families facing terminal childhood illnesses, Baystate Children’s Hospital Pediatric Palliative Care Program, Boston Children’s Hospital, ChadTough Defeat DIPG Foundation, and other local charities.
Kayleigh Thomas is a digital reporter who has been a part of the 22News team since 2022. Follow Kayleigh on X @kayleighcthomas and view her bio to see more of her work.
