Husky fans continue to show support for PCAN

Young Bailey Widner was back in front of Aurora’s football crowd Friday night, but this time she was wearing all smiles.
A year ago Bailey and her family members were introduced as Gary Peters explained the work and focus of the Pediatric Cancer Action Network (PCAN), an organization focused on providing financial support to families who have a child battling cancer. 
“If you remember last year at this game we passed the buckets down the aisle collecting money and we gave half of what we were given to Bailey Widner’s family,” Peters recalled. “A year ago at this time Bailey was still in treatment, but Bailey is now in remission.”
That report drew applause from the crowd, which in turn drew a smile from young Bailey, who was clinging tight to her mother, Melissa. Peters noted that half of the $4,751 donated last year went to the Widner family.
“So even though we didn’t do anything to change that outcome, what we do as an organization at PCAN is maybe give that family a moment of peace so that they could focus just a little more on making sure that Bailey was getting the treatment that she needed,” Peters said during Friday’s brief half-time presentation. “So I ask you to be generous and donate as much as you possibly can.”
Peters has addressed the Aurora crowd at an early home football game for many years since becoming a PCAN volunteer himself. He and his wife Shari fought their own emotional pediatric cancer journey several years ago when their son, Jacob, was diagnosed with cancer. Jacob ultimately lost that battle at the age of 17.
“Nebraska has the highest percentage of pediatric cancer west of Pennsylvania and our town, Aurora, has been hit particularly hard so my wife Shari and I have joined this group in doing what we can,” Peters said. “Our focus has been to do what we can to help families pay for rent, car payments, medication, whatever is putting stress on that family so they can focus on the only thing that matters, and that’s getting their child care.”
Peters was joined on the track by the Widners, as well as other local families who have been impacted by pediatric cancer.
Later during the third quarter it was announced that the Aurora cheerleaders passing buckets throughout the crowd collected $2,200, all of which will go to PCAN.
“We don’t spend any of that on fees or salary for executive directors,” Peters said. “The money goes to the families, so I can’t think of anything better than to help out the family of a cancer patient.”
Peters also thanked school officials for allowing the PCAN presentation each year, as well as the football team for wearing gold stickers on their helmets during the Wahoo game, and the cheerleaders for wearing PCAN t-shirts and helping collect donations.
“Aurora has been very generous,” Peters concluded. “Go Huskies.”