Devyn Casey is not your typical 13-year-old. While most girls her age spend their free time on their iPhones or shopping with friends, Devyn spent her weekends coming up with a way to honor her grandfather, Jack “Papa” Casey, who died of lung cancer in 2013.
One of Devyn’s favorite TV shows is “The Amazing Race.” So, when the eighth-grader decided to raise funds for lung cancer research in her Papa’s memory, what better way than to hold a scavenger hunt called the Amazing Race to Find a Cure?
Like the reality show, teams competed by following clues and completing challenges at 10 “pit stops” in Devyn’s hometown of Wilton, Connecticut. The winning team had to execute all the challenges successfully and arrive first at the finish line. Devyn’s parents, Kerry and Jayme, created the clues and plotted the course, and Devyn promoted the race on Instagram and through a website.
Ten teams, each paying $40 to enter, competed with a total of 50 participants. In addition, a family friend and cancer survivor contributed NBA memorabilia for a raffle. Thanks to local press coverage, even more donations poured in, bringing the final tally to $3,500.
In a letter to her grandfather’s doctor, Lecia Sequist, MD, MPH, medical oncologist and clinical researcher at the Mass General Cancer Center, Devyn wrote, “Because of your amazing care, my Papa lived longer than expected. I hope this donation helps other families have the same bond my grandfather and I shared and helps other lung cancer patients live longer.”
