Sarah Makkai – 2017 Recipient
Sarah Makkai is shown at age 5 using her nebulizer, which helps turn liquid medication for her lungs into a mist. This kind of care is possible in part thanks to funding from the Caledonia Community Chili Cook Off.
By Joanne Dorr
The Haldimand Press
CALEDONIA—Sarah Makkai was 5 years old when she received the support of the Caledonia Community Cook Off (CCCO).
Sarah’s mother Deanna explains, “The Knight of Columbus reached out to us because they actually heard about Sarah’s story when we were promoting an event for Cystic Fibrosis (CF) called the Princess Ball and because she has CF and requires several hours of treatment per day, and various medications throughout the day, they wanted to see how they could help her.”
Deanna points out the donation has helped them purchase different medical equipment for Sarah and it continues to help cover various medical costs for her. Sarah’s parents then explained the significant costs of the various medications and equipment Sarah requires.
Today, as a 9-year-old, Sarah enjoys wearing pretty dresses and loves to go outside and get dirty. Her favourite show is ‘Dog with a Blog’ and Deanna describes Sarah as being both funny and compassionate.
“The Knights of Columbus are very kind and caring and are a wonderful group; they were respectful and very motivated to help. This makes them pull off one heck of an event – it’s a lot of fun!” added Deanna.
Sarah will be attending the seventh annual Caledonia Community Cook Off on April 22 at the Riverside Exhibition Centre with some of her family members. It runs from 4-8 p.m. at 151 Caithness St. E. in Caledonia. Tickets are $5 to enter with various exhibits and a kid’s play area to check out. You can purchase eight chili samples for $20 – come with an appetite, as there are two dozen chilies to try. Over $15,000 in prizes is also up for grabs, including two round trip tickets with WestJet!
