Howell Resident receives C. David Evans College Scholarship to support educational goals

Saint Peter’s University Hospital, New Brunswick, recently hosted its 18th annual Oncology Kids Holiday Party and Scholarship Awards Program, a cherished tradition held just days before Christmas. Originally created by a group of dedicated oncology nurses at Saint Peter’s, the event was designed to bring holiday cheer to children who have lost a parent to cancer. Over the years, the celebration has grown to include a meaningful college scholarship program, with recipients announced during the festivities. This year’s scholarship was awarded to Kelsey Hart, 22, of Howell, an early childhood education major at Georgian Court University. Hart, who aspires to become a preschool teacher, embodies the spirit of resilience and hope that the event seeks to honor.

Initially, the party hosted 14 children who lost a loved one to cancer and who had been treated at Saint Peter’s. Since then, attendance has grown to more than 100 over the years and includes not only children and teens, but college- and high school-aged individuals who have returned year after year. The party includes gifts from Santa, but even more impactfully, the event offers the opportunity for participants to share their experiences with others who can relate to their sense of loss and to pay tribute to their loved ones.

“The Saint Peter’s Oncology Department has been there for me and my three siblings,” said Hart, who lost her mother to metastatic breast cancer in 2017 at just 40 years old. “What brings me back to the party year after year is the sense of community and compassion. The holidays are rough for anyone who has experienced loss and being surrounded by people who understand what you’re going through makes it a bit easier; knowing you aren’t alone has been an invaluable gift.”

In 2012, Celeste Evans, whose husband C. David Evans had passed away from cancer at Saint Peter’s, decided to ensure the scholarship would be sustainable year after year and support the higher education goals of these children. As a single mother whose daughter Carla started attending the Oncology Kid’s Holiday Party at age four, Celeste knew the challenges that some of these children would now face having not only lost a parent to cancer, but perhaps facing the financial impact of losing the family’s breadwinner as well. She and her husband were both advocates of higher education and Celeste felt strongly that making sure the scholarship continued every year was the best way to honor his legacy.

“The nurses get to know the family members of their cancer patients when they visit their loved ones during frequent treatment sessions and extended hospitalizations. The event has become so much more than a holiday party—we’ve built a ‘family’ that delivers hope, resilience, and lifelong friendships,” explained Avril Keldo, DNP, MSN, ANP-BC, RN-BC, OCN, director of Professional Practice, Clinical Education and Nursing Research, Saint Peter’s University Hospital, and the event organizer for consecutive years.

“I’m filled with gratitude,” said Hart, explaining that this is the fourth year that the C. David Evans Foundation has supported her educational goals. “Knowing that the scholarship committee believes in my dreams continues to motivate me as I work hard to make a difference while honoring my mother’s legacy. It’s been seven years since I lost her, yet Avril, Celeste and the Oncology Department at Saint Peter’s have stuck by me through it all; I know they’ll always have my back!”

For more information or to donate to the scholarship fund, visit cdevans-scholarship.org.