"This is going to be the party of the summer," said Beth Ann Bradshaw, co-chair of the SLK Summer Bash to Support Kids with Rare Diseases. "It's going to be a fun night for a great cause."

The Summer Bash will be held at Melhorn Manor, 977 W. Main St., Mount Joy, from 4 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, July 30. It will feature food, drinks, live music, games and more, all to benefit the SLK Foundation.

"The foundation is named for the founder's nephew, Sean Louis Kisielnicki, which is where the letters 'SLK' come from," explained Brittany Garner, event co-chair. The foundation was created by Stephen Trott in 2016, when Trott began looking for ways to help his nephew, who was diagnosed with Hunter syndrome. Trott soon realized that other families needed help for their children with rare diseases as well, and the foundation was born.

"Insurance pays for a lot when you have a sick child, but if you have a rare disease, it's often harder to get funding through insurance," explained Garner. "We raise funds for everything from wheelchair ramps to wheelchairs, beds, car seats, medical equipment, medication, meals during hospital stays. We support the child and the family however they need it." Families of children with rare diseases often face financial burdens, she noted. "If you have a kiddo who requires 24-hour care, you're usually down to one income because one parent is home with the child and can't work," she stated.

Garner and Bradshaw came up with the idea for the Summer Bash as a way to not only raise funds for the organization, but also spread the word about its mission. "Everybody does a gala," Garner said, noting that she has attended many for worthy causes. "This is something much more casual. It doesn't have to be fancy to be fun. We're all there to support the cause and to have fun. It's casual dress, so come as you are."

The evening will feature a summer buffet menu by Chef Autry, a cash bar, cornhole and other yard games, live music from Bit-O-Blues and giveaway baskets. Items up for grabs will include jewelry, makeup, Barnstormers tickets, gas cards, car detailing and more. The event will be held both indoors and outside, Garner noted, with plenty of room for indoor-only activities if the weather does not cooperate. The event is sponsored by The Solar Girl.

The foundation has set a fundraising goal of $10,000 for the Summer Bash, with proceeds benefiting families throughout central Pennsylvania. "There's a tagline for the foundation which I really like that says, 'A disease may be rare, but hope should not be,'" said Bradshaw. "That's what this event is about - raising money to give these families hope."

For more information or to purchase tickets for the SLK Summer Bash, visit https://tinyurl.com/y9sah7d5. For more information on the SLK Foundation, visit http://www.slkfoundation.org.