By: Debbie Campbell
DELTA, OH – The 5th Annual Sharon’s Cinderella Ball took place Saturday, January 11, at the American Legion Post in Delta. Sharon’s Cinderella Ball was started as a fundraiser for the Sharon K. Bruce Memorial Scholarship.
Sharon Bruce was a teacher at Evergreen Local Schools who passed away in December 2014 from leiomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer. This event is held as a tribute and a way to carry on Sharon’s passion of teaching and helping others.
Kirsten Mignin, Sharon’s daughter and Sharon’s Cinderella Ball executive director started the Ball in 2015 to raise scholarship money for high school seniors. Originally the scholarship was only opened to seniors from Morenci Area High School, Sharon’s alma mater, and Evergreen High School, where Sharon taught for 33 years.
This year, the scholarship was opened to Delta High School seniors in honor of Sharon who spent many hours volunteering in Kirsten’s middle school classroom. Since it started, the Sharon K. Bruce Memorial Scholarship has helped over 25 students.
This year, Sharon’s Cinderella Ball also decided to extend its support to a family battling cancer, particularly a family fighting childhood cancer. The family chosen to receive this support is the Johnson Family. Leah Johnson is an 11-year battling leukemia. Leah was diagnosed last June and is currently in her fourth cycle of chemotherapy.
The money raised at Sharon’s Cinderella Ball will help the Johnson family with expenses as Leah enters the final phase of her treatment. Leah will be receiving a bone marrow transplant within the next month.
Leah’s parents were the guests of honor at the Ball. Andrea Johnson, Leah’s mother, said “Leah’s amazing, I wish that I was half the person that Leah is. She’s got one speed and that’s forward.” Andrea and her husband Jake are humbled by all of the support they are receiving. Andrea said, “It’s incredible that so many people are here from so many different parts of our lives. They’ve all come together, knowing that they’re here to help support our daughter, it’s really something.”
If you would like to get updates on either Leah or the Ball please visit their Facebook pages, Leah’s Little Corner and Sharon’s Cinderella Ball. We wish Leah and the Johnson Family all the best as they continue their fight during this difficult time. We would also like to thank Sharon’s Cinderella Ball for all the great work they do.
Debbie can reached at publisher@thevillagereporter.com