Ellsworth community makes a special day for a child battling cancer

ELLSWORTH, Maine (WABI) - A community came together for a good cause at the Ellsworth Walmart Saturday.

Ten-year-old Journey Gartner is battling a rare blood cancer known as MSD.

First responders, local truck drivers, Walmart Associates, volunteers from the Walmart fleet, along with the community as a whole came together to make Saturday a special day for Journey.

The Walmart Heart Team was responsible for setting up this event which included a party inside the store followed by a parade across Ellsworth.

Journey received gifts before cake was served and became an honorary Walmart truck driver in the parade that followed.

”I have probably twelve or thirteen members that help me out and it’s just our way of giving back. It’s all volunteer so we don’t get paid for any of it. Just our way of giving back to this little child.” said Walmart Heart Team Driver, Steve Weldon.

“The outpouring of strength and community, the police, fire, and local towns, the truck drivers that are here volunteering their time; it’s a privilege to be able to be a part of it.” said store manager Albert Glossin.

The Heart Program was founded by four drivers to keep a boy entertained as he needed to stay up twenty four hours awaiting a surgery, the program later expanded to help children nationwide.

If you would like to donate to Journey’s fight, donations are welcome at her GoFundMe at Fundraiser for Melanie Gartner by Julia Axtell : Help Journey Rose defeat MDS, a rare blood cancer (gofundme.com)

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