Jenna Rossi lost her son, Howie Koch, on Nov. 28, 2014 to neuroblastoma when he was 3 years old.

Fifty-nine-year-old Gary McDonald’s seven-year battle with cancer ended on Sept. 28, 2015.

On Saturday, June 11, in the parking lot of The Sports Page Tavern in Auburn, friends and family of the boy and of the man are joining hands for the third year with Howie’s Hometown Heroes Lemonade Stand to raise money for childhood cancer research and to bring attention to it.

“Losing my father is one of the hardest things I’ve ever experienced, watching this disease disintegrate him, until the only thing left was his soul,” said Gary McDonald’s daughter, Jamie McDonald, one of the event’s organizers. “My father had an amazing life, and he lost his battle early, at 59 years old. But we have children like Howie, who don’t even get an opportunity for life, and all they have is harsh chemo and radiation, which aren’t really cures.”

All proceeds from the fundraiser are going to Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation to fund childhood cancer research.

Alexandra “Alex” Scott founded Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation on the front lawn of her home in Connecticut in 2000, when she was 4 years old. Like Howie Koch, Alex was battling neuroblastoma, a pediatric cancer. One day the girl told her mom and dad she wanted to set up a stand in her front yard. And whatever money she earned, she said, she wanted to donate to “her hospital” to help doctors find a cure for all kids with cancer.

Alex’s lemonade stand became a yearly event.

Inspired by Alex, people throughout the United States and the world began to set up their own stands and donate what they had earned to her foundation. By the time Alex died in August 2004, she had raised more than $1 million to help find a cure for all children afflicted with cancer.

Now here’s what you need to know about the big day in north Auburn.

From 11 a.m to 4 p.m. there’ll be loads of fun for the kids and things for them to eat and slurp in the parking lot, like hot dogs, baked goods, and of course, lemonade.

“We’ll have a drawing table where the kids can draw pictures and send them to Children’s Hospital for encouragement, and there’ll be face painting and games. We’re hoping a licensed, insured person can donate a bouncy house,” McDonald said.

At noon, while kids are still whooping and eating outside, a pool tournament gets rolling inside the Sports Page, framed by a pasta feed offering pasta salad and garlic bread for $10.

At about 4 p.m. inside the tavern, an auction in memory of Gary McDonald begins.

“Right now, we need auction items,” McDonald said. “We can auction off almost anything. We’re even auctioning off my dad’s car. It needs some work, but as it is, it’s going to raise great money.”

Among the sorely-needed items are: a porta potty; the bouncy house; and should any soul able to pass a background check be willing to give freely of his or her time, the services of a clown, a balloon artist and an expert face painter.

To donate to the June 11 fundraiser, email garymcdonaldmemorial@outlook.com, or ship donations directly to the Sports Page, Attn: Sunshine, 2802 Auburn Way N., Auburn, WA 98002.

Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation is a 501(c) tax-exempt, publicly supported organization. Its tax ID # is 56-2496146. For more information, call 866-333-1213.