VALDOSTA, Ga. — Maddie Day is a community event to honor 13-year-old Madeline Pitts. 

Community leaders, city and county departments are scheduled to gather 11 a.m. Saturday, June 9, at Freedom Park to raise funds for the young teen who is battling brain cancer and leukemia.

Natalie Melear, lead organizer, said these are the same two illnesses that claimed the life of Pitts’ older sister, Elizabeth Pitts.

The celebration is being held to assist Pitts with fulfilling a wish list she’s created, which includes getting a driver’s license and baking a cake for her brother’s sixth birthday.

After learning of Pitts’ story, Melear contacted the Valdosta Police Department and enlisted their help in satisfying the wish list. It began with getting Pitts a driver’s license, and Melear said it rocketed from there.

“It’s crazy,” she said. “It’s literally exploded.”

She said she has attracted the attention of city officials, city and county fire departments, the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office, patriotic motorcycle clubs and more who want to help with Maddie Day. Melear said helicopters will be present.

“They’re all canceling meetings and skipping work to say how can we bless this baby, and they’ve never even met her,” she said. “It’s really awesome.”

Pitts will make her entrance by horse and carriage, and Mayor John Gayle will read a proclamation to declare June 9 Maddie Day, Melear said.

A tree in the park has been named for Pitts, who will carve both her name and her sister’s name in the tree Saturday.

VPD and the sheriff’s office will deputize her at the event. She will be provided a police uniform in her size, Melear said.

Part of her wish list is to design cupcakes, so Smallcakes Cupcakery brought Pitts in to make cupcakes utilizing her favorite colors, pink and aqua.

The cupcakes will be on sale at the celebration. There will also be raffles from community sponsors, such as Steel’s Jewelry, being sold one for $10 or three for $25.

Participants are asked to bring bio-degradable balloons for a water balloon fight, Melear said.

Moody Air Force is scheduled to provide a photo booth, Woodstack will serve food to the first 200 people and ice cream will be served, organizers said.

Pitts will soon have a song on iTunes for sell, according to Melear, who said writing and singing her own song is on the teen’s wish list.

Proceeds from the event and the song goes to the Pitts family to help with medical treatments, Melear said. 

Amanda Usher is a reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times. She can be contacted at 229-244-3400 ext.1274.