Last weekend was time for Colonial Beach to shine on the cancer fundraising stage as residents and businesses banded together for another round in an effort that has been running for the last 15 years.

The Fight For Madison began when a child in the town was diagnosed with leukemia in 2011. Her father, Scott Madison, was, as Tara Seeber explained, not only part of the Colonial Beach School Board at the time, but was also head football and varsity softball coach, on top of being the director of the town’s youth football program for a number of years.

“He gave so much time to our community,” stated Seeber. “So when his daughter Madison got sick, I went into action to raise money.” The rest, as they say, is history. In the fifteen years since, the Fight for Madison, or Cart N’ For a Cure, has raised over $70,000 in donations that have gone to groups such as the American Cancer Society, St. Jude’s, the American Brain Tumor Association, and others, while at least half typically goes to the ASK Childhood Cancer Foundation, where Madison still goes for treatment in Richmond.

The donations come from many sources— individual donors, the Moose Lodge, the American Legion, and a variety of restaurants and businesses.

Madison, meanwhile, continues to live a happy life thanks to her treatment and is slated to get married soon, according to Seeber. Madison also graduated from radiology school and is now learning to be a mammogram technician.

The goal this year was $15,000 since this was the 15th year of the event. Participants went to locations across Colonial Beach, including Ledo Pizza, the Eagles, the American Legion Post, and the Ice House, before finding their way to Dockside, where the funds raised were tabulated. At each location, a poker card was picked up, and at the end, whoever had the best hand of cards would win a $100 prize. A raffle for prizes was also offered.

The event did not meet its $15,000 goal— it surpassed the goal, instead raising almost $31,726.

“Fifteen years ago, we started this and are still holding strong,” Seeber stated. “Madison’s dad, Scott, put up a Facebook post talking about how people had said he shouldn’t ask for help, but he wanted the community’s help. And here we are, fifteen years later. That is huge.

“I look around and I see so many people who have done this for fifteen years. I’ve seen new people too, and that’s what I love about this event—every year, somebody new shows up to fight this cause.

“I don’t care what anybody says about Colonial Beach. What we have here is why I love this town. Talk bad all you want, but when somebody is in need, we all come together.

“When Scott made the post fifteen years ago, I went to work because nothing hit me harder than the fact that Scott was the head of our youth program and so much more. He had dedicated so much to this community. So when Madison got sick, I decided that we were going to raise money, fix this, and keep doing it until the day I die. No child deserves to be sick.”

Jessica Sop, one of two ASK Foundation representatives at the event, also had a big round of thanks to give to the horde of donors.

“It’s really inspiring to see how this community comes together to support children with cancer throughout Virginia,” stated Sop. “ASK has been around for fifty years, supporting children with cancer and their families throughout Virginia since 1975, including at Children’s National in Fredericksburg.

“Every week, six to seven children in Virginia are diagnosed with cancer, and we are able to support over a thousand families each year, providing financial assistance when times are tough, educational support for kids who miss out on school during treatment. And lastly, we provide a lot of love and community for the kids, their siblings, their parents—the whole family. Thank you all for supporting kids with cancer.”

Seeber thanked the multitude of people involved who had helped over the years with the fundraising. “None of this would have worked if we didn’t work together.”

Photo: R. Burrell