Photos: Community Celebrates Life Of Young Girl Who Lost Cancer Battle

EAST HAMPTON, NY — A young girl who lost her brave fight with cancer in 2011 was remembered Sunday at a fundraiser held in her honor.

The Buckskill Winter Club in East Hampton presented the annual Katy's Courage Fundraiser on ice Sunday; this year's show was called "In Love With Broadway", featuring Hauppauge's "The Rinx Total Skating Program", Buckskill Winter Club Skating Director Meghan Barnes, and other local talent.

Katy's brother Christopher, mother Brigid and father Jim attended in her honor.

The event included an all-day bakes sale and a wide array of raffle prizes.

Katy Stewart, a brave little Sag Harbor girl who died from a rare form of liver cancer when she was only 12 years old, lives on forever in those who are carrying her memory in their hearts.

In her honor, Katy's Courage hosted Katy's Kids, a group session to help children and teens deal with grief, last March. Katy's Kids@CCME is a new program aimed at focusing on peer support groups for grieving children and their families.

Katy’s Courage is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization honoring Katy. The organization is dedicated to raising monies to fund local school scholarships, pediatric cancer research and Katy’s Kids @ CMEE.

When Katy died in 2011, hearts were broken on the East End.

Katy's bright smile became familiar to East End residents after two Roar For A Cure benefits organized by The Max Cure Foundation raised funds and support for two families fighting fiercely to save their children from deadly cancers.

Katy, said Max Cure President David Plotkin, whose son Max survived his battle with lymphoma , "fought with courage and bravery, always wearing a smile." The Roar For A Cure carnivals, he added, lent support to Katy's parents, Jim and Brigid, so they "would be able to dedicate time and energy on getting Katy well," while providing some normalcy for their young son, Robert, during the times that Katy underwent treatment.

"As parents, and as a community, everyone rallied around Katy," Plotkin said. "Memorial Sloan-Kettering did everything they could to cure her. Unfortunately, the cancer was too strong."

Katy , a seventh grader, passed away in her sleep only days before the New Year.

"Early this morning as the sun was rising in pink hue over the harbor, our beautiful and beloved daughter and Robert's sister, Katy, became an angel in heaven," wrote the Stewart family in a message on CaringBridge.org, a website devoted to sharing news of those who are facing health challenges.

"She was a special gift to the lives of those who knew her, a kind and thoughtful child who was a giving and generous soul," the message continued. "She was a magnificent blessing to our lives and words can't really express just how we much we loved her so."

Katy's parents are familiar faces on the East End.

Her heartbroken family also thanked the community for reaching out to them during their darkest hours.

"You made our journey lighter, and touched Katy's heart in so many ways. Please say a prayer for her. She will be with us always."

As news spread of Katy's passing, those who knew her reached out with words of support — and memories of the little girl who touched their hearts forever.

Photos by Richard Lewin Professional Photography, soniboy@aol.com.

Additional reporting by Richard Lewin.