BEVERLY — Just after celebrating her 23rd birthday in February 2006, Kara Lalumiere was diagnosed with a rare form of ovarian cancer.
Hospitals in the Washington, D.C., area, where she lived, were unable to treat her, so Lalumiere and her family traveled to the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center in Baltimore, where Lalumiere endured seven months of chemotherapy until her death on Oct. 15 of that year.
The Lalumiere family — who relocated to Baltimore for three weeks to be with Kara — learned there are more than just emotional costs with cancer; there are also financial costs. And when a young adult is stricken with cancer, it can be difficult to pay for the additional costs of travel.
"Young adults are the largest segment of the population without insurance," said Kara's mother, Kathryn Lalumiere. "And local hospitals don't have the ability to treat you."
In 2008, Kathryn started the Kara Foundation to support young adults and their families with these extra costs.
The Kara Foundation will hold a fundraiser at the Vittori-Rocci Post in Beverly on Oct. 24 from 7 to 11 p.m. Kelly Trudell, Kara's cousin, said this will be a chance for a lot of family and friends to come out and join the cause.
The Kara Foundation's main focus is to support families who need to travel to the Johns Hopkins Center, but organizers soon hope to assist families traveling to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, as well.
The Beverly event will be an evening of music and food, with three local bands and singer Christine Baze, a cancer survivor from Salem. It will be a high-spirited and fun event, in step with Kara's nature.
"She was a ball of fire," Trudell said. "She brought personality and life to every conversation."
There will also be a cash bar, a silent auction and a raffle. All proceeds will go to the foundation. Tickets are $25 for adults, $20 for young adults and $10 for those 17 and under. Tickets can be purchased at the door or at www.foundationforkara.org.
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