Six months ago, Wellsville resident Avery Penn was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor called pineal gland germinoma.

So when the Montgomery County High School Future Business Leaders of America group was discussing plans for this year’s Hero Night Under the Lights program over the summer, it decided to honor the 11-year-old Avery as well as others who are fighting cancer.

“The officers were having a meeting and (MCHS teacher) Mr. (Joe) Basinger suggested it,” said Brenna Ludy, who is the school’s FBLA president. “So we brought it up at the committee meeting. Everyone thought it would be a really good cause because childhood cancer is a very deep subject and we want to bring awareness and we want to help a family in need.”

Hero Night will be held on Oct. 18 during MCHS’ football game against Wright City at Jim Blacklock Field. It’s been an event that has been held annually at MCHS for several years. Hero Night has raised over $50,000 the last couple of years, including $6,000 last year that went towards the Griffith and Sullentrup Memorial and Recovery Fund, named after the two Hermann officers who were involved in a shooting on March 12, 2023.

“I’m excited for it because we have something to prove in football this year, but this is also a big deal,” said Jacob Hogue, who is a member of the MCHS football team and the FBLA group. “I think a big factor in our last (home) game (against Mark Twain on Oct. 4) was we had a lot of support from everybody in the community since it was homecoming. I think we’re going to have the same thing this week with Wright City.”

The group raised $550 from a cornhole tournament it held on Oct. 9 at the MCHS gymnasium and sold T-shirts for several days.

On Oct. 16, a Hero Night BBQ and a Powderpuff football game will be held at the high school to help raise money. During the football game on the 18th, FBLA members will be selling raffle tickets and holding a silent auction.

All proceeds will go to the Penn family to help pay for medical expenses. The FBLA’s goal is to raise $8,000.

“After doing some research and finding out about Avery, we found that this would be a really good cause to go this year because 1 in 285 children in the United States are diagnosed with cancer before their 20th birthday,” Hogue said.

Avery is a sixth-grade student at Wellsville-Middletown R-I School. He is the son of Tyler Penn, who graduated from MCHS in 2011.

“With Tyler being an alumni, it was pretty easy getting in contact with him because he was in our community,” said Hogue, who is a senior. “We can relate this back to the community with him being from here.”

Ludy, a senior, said she’s looking forward to this year’s Hero Night. She has been working at the event since her freshman year.

“I think this one is the one that hits the deepest,” Ludy said. “My cousin has cancer and we’ve been dealing with it for the past few years. I think it hits close to home for me personally because she’s only 3.”