They could all have been somewhere else, doing something else. Like putting the finishing touches on Super Bowl bashes several of the men have been known to host.
But not this Sunday. They had a life to celebrate.
Over 100 folks — family, close friends and children — marshaled their way into a big white tent outside Trinity Petit’s Coventry Township home.
The occasion? A Hollywood-style birthday party for the 9-year-old, who was diagnosed Jan. 15 with an inoperable and terminal brain stem glioma (tumor) that has already left her paralyzed, losing her eyesight and barely able to talk.
To say that Madelyn Sweeney — executive director of the North Canton-based Wishes Can Happen — pulled out all of the stops is an understatement.
It didn’t matter a particle that Sweeney had such a short window of time — since learning Tuesday about Trinity’s wish — to put it all together. “Anything to put a smile on that little girl’s face,” said Sweeney, who has been granting wishes for 30 years through her nonprofit geared to critically ill children.
Trinity, daughter of Steve and Tiffany, sister of 6-year-old Braden and a third-grader at Erwine Intermediate School, was active in cheerleading for Coventry youth football. But all of the sudden on Jan. 14, she began dropping things and slurring her words, prompting a trip to Akron Children’s Hospital. An MRI quickly revealed the still incomprehensible news.
So, Sweeney and legions of dedicated volunteers, including Cassie Jebber of Cuyahoga Falls, had reason to act quickly.
This was a party like no other, complete with a visit from Victory Gallop’s Petie the Pony, a popular guest at Children’s Hospital; Angel, a miniature horse owned by Janet Rankyl of Canal Fulton; a pair of 5-month-old white tigers, courtesy of Lee and Cindy Huntsman of Stump Hill Farms in Massillon; “Hey Vern,” aka Vern Keswerder, an artful balloon twister; and Lena Duncan-Smoot, a professional fire eater from Cuyahoga Falls.
Oh, but so much more was in the cards for Trinity — dressed in a whisper-pink ruffled dress, black sweater, tights and black patent slippers and perched on a colorfully adorned recliner from which to enjoy the pageantry announced by DJ Michael Paolucci of Russell Sound Lab of North Canton.
Among the cast of entertainers were Sparky B and Johnny Shank, two local DJs on their way to perform in Las Vegas who stopped by to serenade Trinity with a high-charged version of Run-DMC’s Tricky, (a favorite of her parents). Of course, they took one liberty with the lyrics, substituting Trinity for Tricky, much to the delight of the birthday girl:
This speech is my recital, I think it’s very vital
To rock a rhyme, that’s right on time
It’s Trinity is the title, here we go...
It’s Trinity to rock a rhyme, to rock a rhyme that’s right on time
It’s Trinity to rock a rhyme, to rock a rhyme that’s right on time
It’s Trinity...Tr-tr-tr-Trinity. Trinity. Trrrrrrrrinity......
Next up was world-traveled comedian/ventriloquist Ken Groves of North Canton and his cool-dude puppet CW, who had everyone — especially Trinity’s school chums 8› year-old Samantha Miller, 9-year-old Ava Hamilton and 10-year-old Ashley Martinez — in stitches.
Some of Trinity’s other animated girl pals even arranged for the DJ to dedicate Abba’s Dancing Queen, which seemed to register a smile on Trinity’s face.
In addition to Sweeney and her super volunteers arranging to fly Trinity’s paternal grandparents, Sue and David Petit, from Arizona to join maternal grandmother Mara Kaylor of Coventry, they purchased a 55-inch LED TV for Trinity’s bedroom and Justin Bieber-themed bedding.
Trinity wanted teen heartthrob Bieber to come to her party. Scores of Facebook friends joined the chorus trying to drum up pressure to make that happen.
While that wasn’t to be, the Bieber — through his people — did send several CDs (including one autographed), notebooks, journals, a doll, a wallet and other stuff.
And what would a birthday party be without a birthday cake?
West Side Bakery in Akron wowed the crowd with a three-tier gift-box cake and complementary cupcakes.
Hats off to each and every one who helped to make Trinity’s ninth birthday party something to remember.
A special nod to Sully’s and Mary Huggin for the tent, tables, chairs and dishes; to Todaro’s for donating the food that was prepared from Trinity’s mother’s recipes by chef Jason Harrison, assisted by Vince Labriola (whose 8-year-old stepson Josh Metzger died of a brain tumor in 2008); super volunteer Mel James; and Sue Heck and her Stampin’ Up gang, who donated the party favors.
The beauty of this quick-turnaround party was that no one charged one penny for anything.
As I surveyed the good times created during the worst of times for the Petit family, one phrase came to mind:
“There is none taller than he who stoops to help a child.”
God bless Trinity and ALL those who came together to put a positive on a real negative.
Jewell Cardwell can be reached at 330-996-3567 or emailed at jcardwell@thebeaconjournal.com.