Donella Hall, a first timer to the seventh annual Christopher Foundation Gospel Celebration, held Saturday at First Baptist Church, said she knows all about cancer.

“I lost a brother to cancer,” Hall said. “It hits close to home. He had it for 13 years and died in October 1996.”

The foundation was named after Christopher Cooley who was diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma at 3 1/2 years of age. Following his diagnosis he went through several major surgeries, many, many rounds of chemotherapy, along with radiation and a stem cell transplant on March 1, 1995. He stayed in remission for 19 months before he relapsed in October 1997. He went through a variety of chemotherapy treatments, painful antibody treatments, tumor vaccine treatment, surgeries and radiation. Christopher died on Feb. 4, 2001, at the age of 9.

Hall and more than 300 people raised $7,000 in Saturday’s annual event. It consisted of a chili and hot dog supper, live and silent auction items and two gospel groups: Ninth Hour and Canaan Bound. The silent auction items consisted of gift certificates, to candles, to makeup, to children’s items.

“This is our big annual fundraiser to raise money and help families of children with cancer,” said Cathy Cooley, mother of Christopher Cooley. “We chose the gospel celebration because that was what Christopher, in the last weekend of his life — the first weekend in February and when he was preparing to leave us — wanted to listen to. Gospel music. So that is why we chose the gospel celebration.”

According to Cooley in a previous interview, Christopher had three songs that he really enjoyed: “Shine Jesus Shine,” “Lord, I Lift Your Name on High” and “Shout to the Lord.”

“We have a lot of people tell us they have come from year to year and that is great,” Cathy said. “The community is so good to us. I am amazed on the turnout. They really support us.”

Since moving to Neosho in 2003, Bob and Anneta Wagner of Neosho have supported the event.

“I think that we have come here to this event every year,” said Bob. “We like the music, because it is our kind of music. We like gospel music.”

One song Anneta wanted to hear was a local favorite.

“I would like to hear ‘I’ll Fly Away,’ ” said Anneta, as Ninth Hour was singing. “The food is good.”

Just a few tables down from the Wagners was Janet Newton and Mary Ann Guppy.

“I support the event because I know that Christopher had cancer and several members of my family have cancer,” Newton said. “So I like to come and support it. I encourage others to come here. They do a lot of good things.”

Even though Guppy did not know Christopher, she still comes to support the foundation’s cause.

“I think that it is a good idea,” Guppy said. “We are here to support that…I like the gospel singing, the auction and the food.”

One of the foundation members was Christopher’s second grade teacher, Marilyn Daniel.

“Christopher was a highly motivated student,” said Daniel. “He would do things on his own.  He was very bright, very loving and he loved to come to school and church. Church and school were very important to him.”

In the past, the event has been held at the Neosho Municipal Auditorium. But due to construction at the auditorium it was moved to the church. It was a fitting place.

“Christopher wanted so bad for this church to be built,” said Cathy. “He wanted to see this new church built so people could come to Jesus.”

Daniel also said that it is very humbling to see people give “up their time and money for this cause, even if they did not know this family.”

Proceeds are used for a number of things for kids with cancer. Last year, a scholarship was set up at Crowder College for kids with cancer or their families.

In the past, the foundation has supplied DVDs, Playstations, Easter Baskets and even traditional Thanksgiving dinners. They have also provided a lot of phone cards for family members to call home from Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City.

In the next few years, Cathy would like to help out more with the children at the hospital.

“I would love to be able to supply a lot of things for the kids in the Children’s Mercy Hospital,” said Cathy. “So many different needs.”

The Christopher Foundation raises public Awareness of pediatric cancer, Support patient and families, and gain Knowledge through research funding (ASK).

For more information, contact Cathy Cooley at 451-1434.