By MIKE JOHNSON
Parrot Heads in Michiana

A delicious, all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast can take care of your appetite. It can also help take care of a 5-year-old girl battling leukemia.

To benefit Sophia Leaman, Goshen, who was diagnosed with leukemia at 4, the Parrot Heads in Michiana are hosting a buffet-style pancake breakfast from 8 a.m. until 11 a.m. Saturday, May 2, at the Yellow Creek Mennonite Church, 64901 CR 11, between Wakarusa and Goshen.

Tickets are $8 per person,and can be purchased at Yellow Creek Mennonite Church on Sunday, April 26, and at the door on Saturday, May 2. Two other churches are also helping sell tickets: Pleasant View Mennonite Church, Goshen, and First Mennonite, Middlebury.

Breakfast guests will be able to feast on pancakes galore, sausage, coffee and juice, all served up by the Parrot Heads in their fun, free-spirited style. The breakfast will feature an array of raffle items, with all proceeds from ticket and raffle sales benefiting Sophia and her family in their fight against leukemia.

“We want to do all we can to help this young lady who’s bravely dealing with a very difficult condition, and who, despite everything she’s going through, still lights up a room with her smile,” said Brad Nunemaker, vice president of the Parrot Heads.

The most common cancer in children and teens, leukemia accounts for almost one out of three cancers. Treatment becomes very expensive, including time in the hospital, clinic visits, medicines, tests and procedures, home health services, and more.

Leaman is completing her most intensive round of chemotherapy and will be moving into maintenance. That means that she will have monthly visits to the hospital instead of weekly visits. Her doctors are encouraged with her progress, and the family is positive that she will beat this disease.

“Our whole focus is on helping people and helping our community,” said Nunemaker. “Seeing Sophia’s courage, and what she has to do just to get through each day, how could you not want to help her live a better life?”

Founded in 2004, the Parrot Heads In Michiana is comprised of people with a tropical outlook who have joined together to help out with great causes while having a good time With a strong desire to give something back to the community, PHiM members perform charitable actions, donate their time and raise money or supplies for local non-profit organizations. The club is part of the national organization known as Parrot Heads in Paradise.

For more information contact Shelly Sharkey at (574) 596-5906 or [email protected] or Mike Johnson at (574) 276-7302 or [email protected].