Toss for a Cause | The Cure Starts Now

Brooklyn Gathering Club

660 Wauregan Rd

Brooklyn, CT

July 18

11:00AM

Registration opens at 10am

A Benefit For...

The Cure Starts Now

Event Details

Cornhole. Food. Yard Games. Heart.

Join the Connecticut To the Moon and Back-Kiera Chapter of The Cure Starts Now for Toss for a Cause, a cornhole tournament benefiting childhood brain cancer research in honor of Kiera Galipeau.

Toss

Cornhole Tournament

Grab a teammate and compete in the Toss for a Cause tournament.

Play

Food + Family Fun

Enjoy food, yard games, music, and a day built for the whole crew.

Win

Cash Prizes

1st and 2nd place teams will take home cash prizes.

For Kiera

Research That Moves

All proceeds fund crucial childhood brain cancer research in Kiera’s honor.

Registration

Pick Your Pass

Children ages 3 and under are free.

$70

Team of 2

Includes tournament entry and event t-shirts for both players.

$20

Family/Food Ticket

Includes admission to the event and food.

$10

Kids Ticket

Includes admission to the event, food, and games.

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The story behind Toss for a Cause

Why We Fight

Kiera moved through the world like a hummingbird — bright, quick, full of life, and impossible not to love.

She loved the outdoors, especially the moon. She loved animals, her kitties Baby and Luna, trips to Mystic Aquarium to see Juno the whale, zoo days, kookaburra videos, football with Daddy, Yahtzee, baking, gardening, swimming, and trying a little bit of everything. She was curious, resilient, adaptable, and endlessly loved.

Just before Christmas in 2020, Kiera was diagnosed with DIPG. Her family was preparing to start a clinical trial when an MRI showed progression. On May 18, 2021, less than a month after her 4th birthday and only about five months after diagnosis, Kiera was gone.

Five months is not enough time.

Not enough moonlit nights. Not enough games with Daddy. Not enough birthdays, zoo trips, laughter, or ordinary little-girl moments. Kiera is one of the reasons we fight — for better options, more time, and the future every child with DIPG deserves.

Every registration helps carry Kiera’s light forward and fund the research these kids deserve.

The Cure Starts Now was founded by Keith and Brooke Desserich after losing their six-year-old daughter, Elena, to DIPG. They started this movement on a bold premise: to defeat cancer, you have to strike it at its strongest point.

We deliberately fund research for the most aggressive pediatric brain cancers because they hold the code to the entire disease. By targeting the hardest cancers first, the breakthroughs we discover will unlock the key to ending all cancer. Your steps today directly fund the bold, outside-the-box research required to finally find the cure.

Ready to toss for a cure?

Grab Your Bags!

Pick your teammate, bring the crew, and spend the day tossing, eating, playing, and showing up for childhood brain cancer research.

Quick note: team registration is for two players. Family, food, and kids tickets are available too.

Step 1: Register your team

Grab a team spot for two players in the cornhole tournament.

Step 2: Bring your people

Add family, food, or kids tickets so your crew can eat, play, cheer, and hang out with you.

Step 3: Toss for a Cause

Show up ready for cornhole, music, yard games, cash prizes, and a day honoring Kiera while funding childhood brain cancer research.

FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the $70 registration for one person or a team?

The $70 registration is for one team of two players. It includes entry into the cornhole tournament and an event t-shirt for both players.

Do players need to buy a family/food ticket too?

No. If you are one of the two players on a registered team, you do not need to buy a separate family/food ticket.

What is the family/food ticket for?

The family/food ticket is for guests who want to come hang out, eat, cheer on the teams, and enjoy the event without playing in the tournament. It includes admission to the event and food.

Do kids need tickets?

Kids tickets are $10 and include admission to the event, food, and games. Children ages 3 and under are free.

Can I come if I’m not playing cornhole?

Yes! You do not have to play in the tournament to attend. Grab a family/food ticket or kids ticket and come for the food, yard games, music, cheering, and community.

When do I need to register?