‘Sadie’s End of Summer Bash’ honors Harrison Co. girl

CYNTHIANA, Ky. (WKYT) - A Harrison County family is celebrating the memory of their daughter.

Sadie’s End of Summer Bash is full of smiles and laughter on Monday as many Harrison Countians come together to enjoy some fun in the sun while paying tribute to the spunky eight-year-old.

“It’s definitely what she would have wanted,” Sadie’s dad, Clint Gaunce, said. “She loved big crowds, making everybody happy, and having a good time.”

Sadie Gaunce was just seven years old when she lost her cancer battle in March, and to give back to the community that helped to lift her family up following her death, Gaunce’s parents, Hilary and Clint, organized Sadie’s End of Summer Bash at Flat Run Park in Cynthiana.

“I’m not surprised, honestly, to have the whole town here. They’ve really showed up for us through everything. I just hope they know how much we appreciate all they’ve done for us,” said Sadie’s mom, Hilty Gaunce.

Monday marked Sadie’s eighth birthday, but it also marked the death of Clayton Arnold, a Harrison County teen who died following complications from a brain tumor. The Gaunces say this event honors Arnold as well.

“Clayton, he left a big void in my heart, and a big hole in my heart is still there, but being able to help these kids and families with anything they go through, it helps,” Clayton’s mom, Jackie Arnold, said.

Beyond slip-and-slides and different vendors, the Gaunces are also taking food donations for Sadie’s Snacks, a backpack program to help local kids.

Hilary Gaunce says she will be partnering with Harrison County’s Family Resource and Youth Service centers to send Sadie’s Snack bags home with elementary school kids who need them each Friday.

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