Hunting for the Cure and Midland’s Hunting Retriever club host the Retriever Jamboree

TWIN CITY, GA. (WJBF) – A nonprofit organization shares light and love for children with cancer with a Retriever Jamboree Saturday.

“We share smiles with children fighting cancer with the great outdoors, we bless them. And a dark time in their life. We just try to be a light,” said Keith Stille, the founder of Hunting for the Cure.

Midland’s Hunting Retriever Club and the Jefferson County chapter of Hunting for the Cure held a Retriever Jamboree to introduce the children to the running hunting retrievers.

“It’s more than just hunting. It’s about these families getting together and having family reunions,” said Edward Salter, a volunteer. “Just loving on each other because they are going through the same things, and we just get to be the hands and feet to serve.”

The day was filled with the children and dog handlers participating in a hunt test competition with the dogs, eating lunch, and receiving an award for their accomplishments.

“Kids are supposed to have fun, and at this stage in their life with what they have, those days are few and far between,” said Don White, Treasurer of the Midlands Hunting Retriever Club.

The goal of the event was not just to teach the kids these skills but also to get them into nature with friends and family.

“For one day, they don’t have cancer anymore. They can have a good time and enjoy their dogs,” said Bill Snider, Jefferson County Hunting for the Cure.

Parents are thankful for an atmosphere where they can forget about what may be happening and just have fun with their children.

“With hunting for a cure and the family. It’s easy, period, I mean, because we all love being outside,” said Dixie Thigpen, a parent. “We love being outdoors; we love interacting with the families that we’ve met through the hospital and hunting for the cure.”

7-year-old Hudson Maxwell is cancer-free, and his parents are thankful to have a space to help reconnect him with nature that he could not get while being sick.

“When you’re with these kids in the hospital, it’s a lot of sitting inside, in a bed,” said Jennifer Maxwell, a parent. For the bigger kids, it’s video games all day, every day, and so now we get to be outside. Breathe fresh air, be with friends, play with some dogs, and it’s just what they need.”

Gracie Thigpen and her family are celebrating ringing her bell this month for her fight with Leukemia, but they could not have done it without the support of the members and volunteers in Hunting for the Cure.

“Nobody’s going to be alone. Everybody’s going to be together. Everybody’s a family, and that’s what I like. Just because everybody apart of Hunting for the Cure their families, their parents, Mr. Keith and all the other guys that take us out hunting, they are family,” said Gracie Thigpen, a child participating with Hunting for the Cure.

You can learn more about Hunting for the Cure, the events they hold, or how to get involved on their website .

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