Over a dozen patrons gathered at II Brothers Grill and Bar to hear live music and enjoy appetizers with friends and family. Several local musicians were performing for a cancer research fundraiser.
The event organizer Lori Rackers partnered with II Brothers in her attempt to raise money for The Cure Starts Now, an organization that raises money for pediatric brain cancer research. She sold vouchers that could be redeemed on the day of the event for select appetizers. The vouchers were sold for $30. Raffle tickets were also sold.
“II Brothers was gracious and said immediately ‘Whatever you need’ and I was grateful,” Rackers said.
Rackers is the great-aunt of Mateo Sparkman, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2020. After Mateo died, Rackers felt compelled to organize a fundraiser with musical features. Mateo’s great-grandfather, Robert Sparkman, performed alongside his great-grandmother.
“We performed with Mateo when he was living with us and we thought it was a good tribute. We don’t do it professionally but as a tribute to him since this event is here,” Sparkman said.
Mateo suffered from DIPG or Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma, a kind of brain cancer usually found in children. It’s an aggressive cancer that is difficult to treat. According to DIPG.org, the average survival range is eight to eleven months. On Aug. 23, 2021, Mateo passed away.
“We had his memorial and I would lay awake in bed and go ‘What can I do now?’,” Rackers said.
That’s when Rackers had the idea for a fundraiser.
“I reached out and I got a lot of no’s,” Rackers said. “And I got very sad. And I got very discouraged. And I thought ‘This is not gonna work. I’m not good enough.’.”
Her luck changed when her friends and acquaintances like Remy Reilly volunteered to perform. Remy is an indie pop singer and songwriter in the DFW area. She didn’t want to pass up a chance to help her friend.
“It feels really great to be able to be here tonight to help the way I can,” Reilly said.
The event lasted about three hours. Performers took the stage to honor Mateo and bring awareness to DIPG. They had to sing over the chatter of regular patrons and audio glitches. Raffle drawings took place between performers.
“There’s always people that will step up,” Rackers said. “And they'll do the right thing. And they’ll help you. And they’ll support you. This is what it’s all about.”
Mateo’s grandmother, Anabella Sparkman, hopes the event can make an impact
Rackers said the event raised over $4000 for The Cure Starts Now.
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