Family raises money to fight childhood cancer

Mountain View — A Vancouver family, including a 2-year-old diagnosed last year with a cancerous brain tumor, raised nearly $400 last month selling lemonade. The Loomis family — parents Monica and Mike, 6-year-old Rennick and 2-year-old Halsten, hosted the Alex’s Lemonade Stand fundraiser on Sept. 19 at the Mill Plain location of Chuck’s Produce. The Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation is a national nonprofit that raises money and awareness for the fight against childhood cancers. Halsten was diagnosed with anaplastic ependymoma in December and is now doing better after two surgeries and 30 rounds of radiation, according to a press release. His mother Monica said in an email that the fundraiser went great, with $395 brought in through lemonade sales and nearly $80 raised through online donations.