About the HarperStrong Foundation
Harper Strong first started in 2021, with its inaugural toy drive. With the help of many friends, family and local businesses, Harper’s toy drive was able to deliver hundreds of toys to C.S. Mott’s Children’s Hospital during the holiday season.
In 2022, Harper Strong sponsored a young man, named Spencer Comer, who was diagnosed with Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma cancer at the age of 13. Spencer’s courageous battle here on earth came to an end in May of 2020 at the age of 15. Harper’s toy drive, in honor of Spencer, donated toys to Children’s Hospital of Detroit where Spencer received his treatment. Harper’s toy drive also donated to C.S. Mott’s Children’s Hospital. That same year, Harper was receiving treatment in New York City through Memorial Sloan Kettering and spent a lot of time at the Ronald McDonald House. Another non-profit out of New York City, known as Candlelighters, NYC, provided our family with support. Harper was able to return that kindness, by way of donating toys to the Ronald McDonald House and Candlelighters, NYC.
The Harper Strong Toy Drive for 2023 was in honor of Anna Markiewicz. Anna holds a special place in our hearts, because Harper and Anna became good friends while enrolled in the same clinical trial at Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York. Anna was originally diagnosed with Medulloblastoma in 2019. Sweet Anna completed her journey here on earth in June of 2023 at the age of 15. In honor of Anna, we collected gift cards that were donated to Candlelighters, NYC to support other teens battling cancer. This was also Harper Strong’s largest toy drive yet, with over two thousand toys being donated to C.S. Mott’s Children’s Hospital.
Our goal is to continue Harper’s dream of giving back through the Harper Strong Foundation and aid other non-profits and families in need.