Valley Rural Electric Cooperative will host its 12th annual benefit golf outing Thursday, June 20 at the Huntingdon Country Club, 10305 Raystown Road, Huntingdon. All of Valley's offices will be closed that day as employees lend a hand for the event. Started by Valley REC's employee health and wellness committee, which has raised almost $345,000 for beneficiaries since its inception, the tournament will benefit four area residents, Keylan Smith, Waylon Oldring, Isabelle Canedo, and Quinton Morrow.
Keylan Smith
Keylan was born in October with two heart conditions. At about six weeks old, he had a catheterization, and he may need valve surgery in the future. He also will need surgery due to premature closing of a cranial suture in utero. He has had many challenges, including using a feeding tube, but Keylan's parents, Tyler and Alexa "Sis" Smith of Mount Union, say he was born fighting and amazes them every day.
Waylon Oldring
Mount Union is home for Waylon, but he spent the first few months of his life at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh due to a severe heart defect. He had two open-heart surgeries in 2022 and was doing well until October 2023, when he began losing weight. Tests determined he has liver cancer. His parents, Andrew and Nakesha, nicknamed their little guy "Way."
Isabelle Canedo
A few days before Christmas 2023, three-year-old Isabelle was diagnosed with leukemia. Her parents, Jay and Kristen Canedo of McVeytown, are expecting another baby at the end of March. While preparing for the new arrival, they travel to Hershey for Bell's treatments. She completed her first 30 days of chemo in January and responded well to the treatment.
Quinton Morrow
Quinton, a football player and wrestler for Northern Bedford High School, developed mobility problems and had falls initially thought to be from a hard hit in a football game. In December he was diagnosed with two cancerous spinal tumors. He is undergoing radiation treatment and will later have chemotherapy. He will need spinal fusion surgery due to the initial spinal/tumor surgery requiring the removal of vertebrae material. Quinton's mother, Jen Morrow of Hopewell, says life has certainly been "a whirlwind" since last fall.
For details about the golf outing and how to register or participate as a sponsor or donor, visit the Golf Outing page.