By Riley Piehl
Communications ’25
carnival to benefit Alex Nicholson, center, who has a rare type of cancer that forms
in soft tissue.
Trine University’s Gamma Phi Epsilon sorority will host its ninth annual Boo Cancer
carnival on Oct. 28 from 5:30-8 p.m. in the Rick L. and Vicki L. James University
Center.
Boo Cancer is Gamma Phi’s main philanthropy event. The sorority hosts a carnival with
games and a silent auction to raise money for a child they select each year who has
cancer.
All community members are welcome. Admission is free; ticket prices for the games
vary.
Gamma Phi also hosts a golf outing and sells T-shirts during the week leading up to
the carnival to raise money. T-shirts can be purchased the week of Oct. 23 outside
Whitney Commons in the University Center.
The child selected this year is Alex Nicholson of Kalamazoo, Michigan. Nicholson’s
parents while putting him to sleep one night felt a lump on the back side of his left
thigh. Nicholson had not recently hurt himself and did not complain of any pain from
that area, so his parents did not think much of it at first.
After a couple of weeks, as the mass had not shrunk, they decided to take him to the
pediatrician. The pediatrician advised Nicholson’s parents to go in and get his leg
scanned and receive a biopsy.
After these tests, the results showed that Nicholson has rhabdomyosarcoma. Rhabdomyosarcoma,
or RMS, is a rare type of cancer that forms in soft tissue, specifically skeletal
muscle tissue. RMS can occur at any age but affects children the most. The treatment
decisions depend on the type of RMS.
Nicholson is receiving 42 weeks of chemotherapy, daily radiation for three to six
weeks, and many scans and surgeries. Nicholson is a smart, funny boy who continues
to make the most of every day by enjoying some of his favorite things, such as playing
with toy cars, dinosaurs, magnatiles, Legos and his cat, Maggie.
A disease of this nature requires very expensive treatments and Gamma Phi is doing
everything in their power to lessen this burden for Nicholson’s family.
To donate a basket for the silent auction, or for any questions, contact Mackenzie
Ross, Gamma Phi’s Philanthropy Coordinator, at mpross21@my.trine.edu.
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