Katie vs. Cancer team nets $3K for cancer research

From the left to right in the before (top) and after (bottom) photos are Crestview's Gretl Stenske, and her son, Zac, along with Fort Walton Beach resident Kim Luckie. All three had their heads shaved on Sunday during a St. Baldrick’s Foundation fundraiser at the Pensacola Bayfront Stadium.

The Katie vs. Cancer team raised $3,391 on Sunday during Praying for Carolyn, a fundraiser that netted more than $53,000 for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation.

The group represented Katie Mitchell, a Crestview 3-year-old who is undergoing treatments for leukemia.  

Stenske, who moved to Crestview three years ago, said she is inspired by the community's support for Katie.

Walker Elementary School students made donation boxes to leave at Crestview businesses including Kelly’s Automotive, Stephanie’s House of Styles and White Sands Tanning, among others.

Fort Walton Beach resident Kim Luckie — who also had her head shaved — works for ERA American Realty, which employs Katie’s mother, Jaime.

The company is organizing July 1 and 2 blood drives at several ERA American Realtor locations in Okaloosa County. The ERA American Charitable Foundation will donate $25 to the Mitchell family for every blood donation, with a $10,000 limit.  

Sunday's event raised awareness for Carolyn Hendrix, a 5-year-old Pensacola resident with Ewing's sarcoma, a rare bone cancer.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Katie vs. Cancer team nets $3K for cancer research