The Village
Times Herald stony Brook • old field • strong’s neck • setauket • east setauket • south setauket • poquott • stony Brook university
Vol. 41, No. 26
August 25, 2016
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Concert under the stars at Vets home Performances and a laser light show
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Celebrating the beauty & spirit of LI Also: one on one with Gloria Rocchio, contest winners
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Photo by Donna Newman
A photo of Julia Diane Wilson is surrounded by her cousin, Ava Felice; Anna Lanze, and Julia’s best friend, Heidi Lanze.
Paying it forward, a girl’s empathy fuels Team Julia By DoNNA NeWmAN DONNA@TBRNEWSPAPERS.COM Ten-year-old Julia Diane Wilson of Sound Beach lost her battle with acute lymphocytic leukemia two years ago this week. Family and friends — both old and new — marked the anniversary with the second annual Team Julia — Fight Like a Girl memorial
fundraiser held Aug. 21 at Stony Brook Yacht Club. Julia’s grandparents, Dan and Diane Donahue, are longtime Setauket residents and this is the second year the fundraiser was hosted by the yacht club, where they are members. The building was filled with supporters of all ages, from infants to senior citizens. Gift bas-
kets were raffled off, T-shirts were sold and donations were accepted. Led by Julia’s parents and grandparents, the event seemed more a celebration of the girl’s life and spirit rather than a memorial. This support group was an outgrowth of Julia’s compassion for others. Even while undergoing treatment herself, she wanted to make things better for the chil-
dren around her. So the adults in her life committed to doing just that for Julia. “Grandma, when I get better … Mommy, when I get better … we have to help these kids,” Diane Donahue recalled her granddaughter saying. She spoke of creating things at the hospital and watching Julia bring them to the
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