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Love for Lucie through fundraiser and dance

Dinner and auction to be held March 2
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Lucie Bertoli, left, with her mom Claire, dad Ryan, and siblings Wren, Harper and Nolan is undergoing treatment at the BC Children’s hospital for leukemia. Friends and family in Williams Lake are organizing a dinner and auction to help the family with their expenses. Submitted photo

A group of family friends is banding together for a Williams Lake girl and her family.

Lucie Bertoli was diagnosed with leukemia in early January and her family has been at her side in Vancouver at the BC Children’s hospital since.

On March 2, the Cataline Elementary School will play host to the Love for Lucie Fundraiser Dinner and Dance.

While the school is behind the event, with students helping to decorate, anyone in the community is invited.

The family friendly event will feature a by-donation photo booth, a taco bar done by a local caterer and Cataline school mom, with a DJ providing the music for the dance.

“She’s honestly the sweetest girl you could ever meet,” said organizer and Cataline teacher Nicole Ulrich. Her daughter is close friends with Lucie.

Read more: Love for Lucie

The money raised by the silent auction and dinner will go towards the Bertoli family to help them with the expense of living in Vancouver while Lucie gets treatment.

“They want to be there for Lucie and they want to focus on going through this. They are all together as a family,” said Ulrich.

Lucie is the second child from the family to have to spend time at BC Children’s Hospital, after her younger sister had a seizure when she was only a week old.

A month after she started treatment, a check in with her doctors showed that Lucie is responding to treatment.

“The news was about as good as it could have been,” said a Facebook page that her parents use to keep people up to date on Lucie’s recovery.

The community has rallied behind Lucie and her family, said Ulrich.

“It makes me very proud to live in a community that has rallied around her so quickly.”

The response she has gotten from local businesses for the silent auction has been overwhelming, she said.

“There have been tons of amazing door prizes and silent auction items. The community has donated things like helicopter rides. It has been amazing the amount of support that has come from the community.”

Tickets are $20 per individual adult, $60 for a family of four (with $5 per additional child) and are available at Taylor Made Cakes and Circuits Cell Shop. Tickets are also available online via etransfer to info@tidynest.ca.

The dinner and dance will take place at the Cataline Elementary Gym. If you can’t go, but still want to help, there is a crowdfunder via gofundme.com/loveforlucie.

For more information check out the group’s Facebook page at Love for Lucie Fundraiser Dinner & Dance.

“It’s a worthwhile cause and it’s going to be tons of fun,” said Ulrich.