Community hosts spaghetti dinner to help benefit children diagnosed with cancer

PESHTIGO, Wis. (WBAY) - On Tuesday, the Henry Drees Community Center was packed with community members from all over Peshtigo for one common cause.

“I don’t think we were expecting this many (people) coming for a Tuesday night and people are lined up out the door and beyond.” Peshtigo resident Shelley Ellis said. Ellis founded the Vega Ellis Memorial Foundation after her two-year-old daughter Vega died from cancer in 2022. Members of the community rallied around Ellis and her family during that time in their lives.

Recently, three-year-old Jameson Wortner and two-year-old Mya Maye from Peshtigo were diagnosed with cancer. Upon hearing this, Ellis decided to pay it forward and give back to those who gave to her.

The Vega Ellis Memorial Foundation and the Peshtigo Cafe hosted a spaghetti dinner and raffle to benefit Jameson and Mya’s fight against cancer.

For $12 a plate, people received a full meal along with a chance at more than 50 bucket items that were raffled off.

Ellis said she just wanted a chance to give the same support the community gave her when her daughter was battling cancer.

“We received so much community support during my daughter’s fight,” Ellis said. “We were able to be down at the hospital with her almost 100 percent of the time just living off of community support and generosity so all we really wanted to do was be able to give back to you and give that same support as we received from others.”

The money raised from the spaghetti dinner and raffle will be given to Jameson and Mya’s families to help offset the costs associated with their battle and travel to Milwaukee for treatment.

There will be a brat fry held from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Tuesday, April 4 at Harbors Retirement Community in Menominee, Michigan, to benefit Jameson and his family.

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