When Bill Richards was fighting for his life a decade ago, with bone cancer having spread through much of his body, it was a family vacation that helped keep him going.
That trip to Walt Disney World, which was provided free of charge by a nonprofit group, gave him the boost he needed to continue his battle, and it’s something he never forgot.
So on Saturday, with his cancer in remission for years, the Shillington man wanted the annual fundraising golf tournament he runs to help provide a similar benefit to another family fighting the disease.
That tournament was held at Willow Hollow Golf Course in Bern Township, and before the first golfers teed off, Alyssa Fegely of Shillington found out that Boscov’s Travel and Richards’ foundation were sending her, her husband Anthony, and two-year-old daughter Hadley to Disney for an all-expenses paid trip.
Fegely, 34, became emotional at the announcement, saying her daughter loves Mickey Mouse, and that the trip planned for 2024 was something for her to focus on while she endures her final stage of chemotherapy, and her upcoming radiation treatments and surgery.
“It’s something to look forward to,” she said.
That was the intent of Richards’ family when they approached Boscov’s and requested the trip, which the company approved, Richards said.
“Alyssa is in the tunnel now, but we want her to see the light at the end of it,” he said. “Hopefully it will be a good refresh button for her.”
Fegely, who has rectal cancer, encouraged others who suspect they have serious health problems to advocate for themselves, as it wasn’t until she went to her third doctor that she received the colonoscopy that revealed she had the disease.
Richards can attest to how surviving the disease is possible, as the stage four Ewing Sarcoma bone cancer he had in 2013 was expected to be fatal.
Now his B Strong Fight On! Foundation assists others, and he is hoping to make a family vacation an annual part of its mission, along with the two $1,500 scholarships it awards each year to a Gov. Mifflin High School graduate.
The foundation each year also awards financial help to local families dealing with cancer.
“I know what they’ve been through,” Richards said. “The last thing they should have to worry about are bills and money.”
Source: Berkshire mont
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