BYU basketball: Cougars help nearly 100 families

PROVO — In the nearly 100 families who gathered Wednesday night at the APEX Alarm building in north Provo to celebrate the annual Christmas for Children With Cancer Foundation's annual Christmas party, you could see pain and happiness mixed.

Each family had its own tale of hardship and suffering. But each family also was glowing with the warmth they found from sharing a night of the Christmas season with those who are walking in similar shoes.

"It just feels good coming here," said Besser Davila, whose 10-year-old daughter, Iholany, suffers from brain cancer and just had her second major surgery in October. "There's just a lot of warmth to be around people who are going through the same things that you're going through. And our other kids (four of them) love this party and look forward to it every year."

The relief in the families was also evident in just being able to briefly get away from their troubles and have a somewhat normal night of celebration. The party serves as somewhat of a respite for the parents and siblings.

"It's just a good way to feel the support of everyone around you," said Denzil Harris, whose son Devin first had brain cancer that left him blind as an infant. Now, at the age of 13, he's battling a rare form of bone cancer in his leg. "Even though we all have our own set of circumstances, we're all doing all we can to help everyone pull through their own hardships and difficulties. But this is a wonderful thing for our kids, and it just warms your heart with all the things the foundation has done for us."

Former BYU coach Steve Cleveland and his wife, Kip, formed the foundation 11 years ago. When Dave Rose became the head coach five years ago, he and his wife, Cheryl, made sure the foundation didn't miss a beat.

"We're trying to get this foundation in a position that it can be around for a long time, that the people in the valley can continue to support these families that are having such a terrible time," Dave Rose said.

The foundation's first Christmas party involved 15 families and was held in the office of the Provo Harmon's Pontiac dealership. With almost 100 families now participating, the event has now outgrown the Cougar Club room at LaVell Edwards Stadium.

"This thing has grown so much and has gotten so big. But it's something that you really wish would stop growing, because every family has paid such an awful price just to be part of it," Harris said.

The main function the foundation provides is the Christmas shopping and the gifts for each family, the children who are suffering from cancer, and their brothers and sisters.

"The last thing on their minds is shopping, Christmas shopping," Cheryl Rose said. "Their whole focus is on getting their child better. But they still have other children, and that's the whole beauty of this thing is that not only do we give something to the children with cancer, but all the siblings are treated the same. They all go home with a bag of toys."

Besides gifts, the families are treated to dinner, a program, games and they get to mingle with and meet BYU's coaches and players.

"We're just glad that we can provide a little bit of happiness for these families that are going through a pretty tough time right now," BYU junior Jimmer Fredette said. "And at events like this, you learn to cherish everything you have and realize that basketball is not the most important thing."

e-mail: jimr@desnews.com