Macon Telegraph - May 2, 2006

License plate will help carry Joanna's legacy

By Alline Kent

TELEGRAPH COLUMNIST

The Georgia Legislature has approved a law creating specialty license plates to help organizations raise money. One of those tags will feature the outstretched arms of Joanna McAfee - a beautiful, happy little girl, the light of her parents' life, the joy of everyone who met her - who died in December of alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare and aggressive childhood cancer.

Although her life on this Earth was short, Joanna's legacy will live on through a foundation that her parents, Jeff and Misty McAfee of Warner Robins, have created to combat cancer in children. The idea for the foundation came about even before Joanna passed away, her parents compelled to do more for children stricken with cancer.

By next January, when Georgia motorists can reserve a Support Cancer Kids license plate. Once 1,000 of the specialty tags are reserved, the state will stamp them out and by March 2007 they should be on cars around the state, spreading the message.

Right now, you may go to supportcancerkids.org, where you can sign a petition in support of the tag. One benefit to signing is that you will be reminded about purchasing the tag, which will cost an additional $25, a portion of which will be donated to the Joanna McAfee Childhood Cancer Foundation.

The silhouette of Joanna that will be featured on the tag is from a picture her father took on Mother's Day in 2004. Joanna had climbed a steep hill and when she arrived at the top, she was excited about being strong enough to accomplish the climb even as her body suffered the effects of chemotherapy.

"By photography standards, it is not that good of a picture," explained Jeff McAfee. "It is snapped into the sun. But with her hands stretched out, the flower on the hat, the clouds behind her, it was everything that made up Joanna."

While the specialty tag won't be available until next spring, there will be other opportunities to support the Joanna McAfee Childhood Cancer Foundation this weekend.

A spring fling, carnival-style event will be held at the Little Reasons Learning Center at 199 Old Perry Road in Bonaire from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Along with the giant inflatable attractions (slides, moonwalks etc.) there will be food and a raffle, the highlight of which is a diamond ring. All the proceeds from the spring fling will be donated to Joanna's foundation.

Across town the same day, there will be a haircut-a-thon at Ciao Bella Salon, 1211 Russell Parkway in Warner Robins (between Tires Plus and Nu-Way). Lisa Filla, owner of Ciao Bella, and her entire team at the salon are donating their talents and time to cut hair from noon to 4 p.m. to raise money for the cause. There will be no charge for the haircuts, but donations will be taken in lieu of payment, with every dollar donated going to the Joanna McAfee Childhood Cancer Foundation.

A tent will be set up outside the salon to provide the public with information about the foundation's purpose and mission. The tent will also have T-shirts and other Joanna McAfee Childhood Cancer Foundation merchandise for sale.

The foundation, a corporate sponsor of Relay For Life, will also be represented at that event with a booth set up on May 19 and 20. Pamphlets and tee shirts will be available.

The mission of the Joanna McAfee Childhood Cancer Foundation is threefold, explained Jeff McAfee.

"The first is to increase awareness of how prevalent childhood cancer is," he said. The second is to support local families whose families are suffering from cancer. The third is to help fund research for childhood cancer, especially rhabdomyosarcoma.

While Jeff McAfee wants the awareness to be far-reaching. he says the main emphasis of support will be children in the Middle Georgia area.

"I saw how people were touched by Joanna's story. I had so many people that told me, 'Joanna changed my life forever.' Joanna's story can continue to touch people, continue to draw people in, and raise money to
help these kids that are sick," her dad said.

"We can carry her legacy on."

McAfee said the foundation will carry on as "far as God lets us."

"It is just like the timing of this tag," he said. "God did it for a purpose. He can turn this into something really incredible."

For more information about the fund-raisers this weekend and to sign the petition in support of the license plate, visit supportcancerkids.org.

Alline Kent's columns appear three days a week. She may be contacted via e-mail at AllineKent@cox.net, or by calling 396-2467.