The Catskill Chronicle

Story and photos by Carol Montana

BRIDGEVILLE, NY (October 1, 2012) – The Allyson Whitney Foundation and the Brittany Miller Foundation were the beneficiaries of the fundraising event Thunder on the Mountain sponsored by Thunder 102 radio as part of the 2nd Annual Derk Vanwolde Memorial Event.

Thunder on the Mountain took place on Friday, September 28 and was held at Holiday Mountain Ski & Fun Park. The event featured entertainment by Alyssa Startup, Jason Casterlin, Mark Wayne Glasmire and Sean Patrick McGraw, with the Star Spangled Banner performed by the 2012 Texaco Country Showdown Winner Cathy Paty.

The entire Thunder 102 team was on hand including Paul Ciliberto and Michelle Semerano from “Ciliberto and Friends,” midday host Jason Dole and “Sakell in the Afternoon’s” Mike Sakell, along with promotions director Regina Hensley and the “Queen of the Thunderheads, Debbie Totten Vanwolde.”

From the foundation’s website: The Allyson Whitney Foundation, Inc. is a non-profit organization that empowers and fights for the interests of young adults with rare cancers, by improving the quality of life, as well as providing emotional support for patients. Allyson Whitney Foundation primarily provides individuals with grants to ease their financial burden so that they can concentrate their energy on healing. Donations can be mailed to Allyson Whitney Foundation, Inc., PO Box 586, Rock Hill, NY 12775 or by logging into paypal and submitting a gift to donate@allysonwhitney.org

From the foundation’s website: The Brittany Miller Foundation is inspired by the memory of Brittany Miller, a Middletown, New York girl who on July 31, 1996 – her seventh birthday – died after fighting a spirited battle against brain cancer, As part of her treatment Brittany had to undergo the hour-plus trip to Westchester several times a month for treatments. No local hospitals provided the sophisticated treatments she required. After Brittany was diagnosed with cancer in July 1995 her parents discovered that, in addition to the emotional drain on families in their situation, even families with good medical coverage find that the lodging, food and other miscellaneous expenses can prove quite a hardship. The Brittany Miller Foundation provides financial assistance to families from the Hudson Valley who have children undergoing long-term medical treatment for cancer. Donations will be made to families for "hidden" costs, including hotels, restaurants, tolls, gasoline and other miscellaneous expenses incurred by families who must take sick children to hospitals or other facilities for frequent treatments.

Derk Vanwolde fought a courageous 8-month battle with cancer. His wife Debbie Totten-Vanwolde (at left in photo with Thunder 102’s Regina Hensley) honors his memory with events that raise money for local charitable organizations.

Following are some photos from the event. Additional photos can be found at: Thunder on the Mountain by The Catskill Chronicle on Zenfolio.