Two grieving cousins have brainstormed an idea to turn their pain into purpose.
Madi Blank, 13, of Festus, and Nellie Fina, 11, of De Soto, are hosting a Cancer Ribbon Run and Blood Drive to raise money to support Blood Cancer United and Colorectal Cancer Alliance.
The event, which will also feature a car show, games and more, will take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 30, at the Danby-Rush Tower Middle School, 1250 Dooling Hollow Road, Festus.
The cousins, who both attend school in the Jefferson R-7 District, lost their grandfathers, Gregg Fina and Marty Vaughn, within a month of each other in 2025.
Stacey Blank, 38, of Festus, is Gregg’s daughter. She said the idea for the fundraiser came when Madi, her daughter, and Nellie were having a sleepover together.
“They were coloring posters and making this idea of having something to honor their grandpas, and I think it helped them heal a little bit,” Blank said.
Blank said she suggested to the girls that they make their idea a reality, and they quickly got started planning the event.
Fundraising event
Blank said the day will start off with a free kid’s fun run on the track, which will feature fun obstacles along the course, such as a bubble machine, hula hoops and cones. Children of all ages are welcome to participate.
Blank said after the fun run, the activity will move up to the upper parking lot, where the car show will be taking place. All makes and models of cars are welcome to join the car show. Trophies will be given for both crowd and kids’ favorites for first, second and third place.
Blank said there will be many free games and activities on the parking lot, including a bubble machine, balloon animals, a photo booth and music. Food and drinks will also be available for purchase from Pedal’n Pi and Kona Ice, as well as a booth providing “dirty sodas and clean snacks” for donations.
“We have a booth sponsor who is buying all the supplies, and then a couple of Marty and Gregg’s grandkids are running the booth with an adult watching,” Blank said. “That’s why it’s just donation based, since the sponsor is already purchasing all the items.”
Blank said a coloring center, face painting, a silent auction and a blood drive will be available from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. inside the cafeteria. A free beach towel will be given to all blood donors.
Blank said a Facebook event page, “First Annual Ribbon Run & Blood Drive” has been created for the fundraiser and includes links to register for the fun run, car show and blood drive. Registration for the car show is $20.
Those interested in donating silent auction items may send a message to the event page.
Blank said the girls decided that 60 percent of the proceeds will go to the Colorectal Cancer Alliance in honor of Marty and the other 40 percent will go to Blood Cancer United in honor of Gregg. Blank said the girls chose to do a 60-40 split with donations because the blood drive is also in honor of the many blood transfusions that supported Gregg during his medical treatment.
“He used well over 20 units,” Blank said.
Blank said she is hoping for at least 30 people to sign up to give blood to offset the amount used to treat Gregg.
Blank said creating the fundraiser has given the girls an opportunity to share and hear stories about their grandfathers.
“We’ve been saying ‘turning pain into purpose,’ because it’s giving them a way through their pain to process and heal. Their big thing is they want cancer cures, so they want to raise money for cancer research so that other people don’t have to go through this,” she said.
Gregg Fina
The Rev. Gregg Fina, who was the grandfather of both girls, started experiencing extreme fatigue in August 2024. He went in for routine blood work and was diagnosed with leukemia.
Fina went through chemotherapy and received a stem cell transplant from his son, Robert, who is Nellie’s father.
He rang the bell, leukemia-free, on March 23, 2025. However, less than five months later, his health took a sudden turn again. He was diagnosed with pneumonia on Aug. 1, and by Aug. 5, he was admitted to the ICU. He and his wife, Dawn, had their 42nd wedding anniversary on Aug. 6. He was placed on comfort care on Aug. 14 and died the next day. He was 64 years old.
He left behind five children and 19 grandchildren, who affectionately knew him as “Poppy.”
Blank said her father, who was the pastor of New Hope Baptist Church in Horine, had a love of music that he shared with both Madi and Nellie. Both girls play the piano.
“They used to always talk about how they were going to start a fun little band called ‘Poppy and the Grands.’ So, I definitely think he’s where their love of music came from. He played guitar, he wrote music, he sang very well,” Blank said.
Marty Vaughn
Robert Martin “Marty” Vaughn, who was Nellie’s grandfather, received a positive colonoscopy in April 2023. In June, he was diagnosed with Stage 3 colorectal cancer.
He began five weeks of radiation and chemotherapy in February 2024. By June, the cancer had metastasized to his liver. His cancer continued to advance, and he died on Sept. 8, 2025. He was 70 years old.
He is survived by his wife, Susan, nine children and 33 grandchildren, who knew him as Pawpaw.
Vaughn was a lifelong member of First Baptist Church of Festus-Crystal City, where he served as a deacon, Sunday School teacher and children’s church leader.
Blank said Vaughn was known for making his Sunday morning omelets, and his love of history and camping.
“Last year, just a couple months before he passed, we all went to Kentucky to the Creation Museum and went camping,” Blank said. She said Nellie had inherited her grandfather’s love of camping.
Blank said Gregg and Marty knew each other, lived near each other in the R-7 district, had both previously been members of the same church and their children went to school with each other.
“Our families are very close. It was hard on all of us watching our dads fight so hard, and then both passed away, especially so close.”
Blank said Gregg and Marty left behind good examples for their families to emulate.
“They were both really good family men. When I think of both of them and the legacy they’ve left, they were very present and involved in their kids’ lives and their grandkids’ lives. They were very involved in their faith as well. They generationally set the precedent for how men should treat people and how they should be present in everyone’s lives.”