When you hear Evan’s story, you realize quickly: it’s not just about a diagnosis. It is about how strength, faith, and love from family, friends, and an entire community can lift someone through the hardest battle of their life.
Just over a year ago, Evan was like any other 19-year-old. A freshman at the University of Cincinnati, working two jobs and full of dreams. But when he started noticing coordination issues on his right side, his mom, Debbie, knew something was wrong. After pushing through countless doctor visits and tests, they finally got an MRI in March 2024. That was the day their world shifted: a brain tumor diagnosis no one ever saw coming.
"You do not even have time to process it," Debbie recalls. "You just know you have to keep moving for your child."
Six days later, Evan underwent brain surgery. Yet even in those early days of fear and uncertainty, light still found a way to shine. Evan’s baptism took place just two days before surgery. Family and friends flooded them with love, and “Team Evan” bracelets began popping up across the country.
Their community wrapped around them in ways large and small. Meals appeared on doorsteps. Messages of hope filled their phones. And Evan — humble, charismatic, and determined — began the long, grueling journey of relearning the basics: walking, talking, even swallowing.
Today, Evan is walking with a cane, regaining his independence step by step. Every therapy session, every milestone, is a testament to his strength and resilience. Debbie remembers a moment early in his recovery when Evan looked at her and said, “I'm gonna be okay, Mom. God gives His toughest battles to His strongest soldiers.”
It is that mindset, full of perseverance and hope, that made choosing Evan to be the 2025 Ambassador for the Hyde Park Blast an easy decision.
Founded in 2001 by Hyde Park residents Cheryl Neiheisel and Chad Sims, the Hyde Park Blast started as a way to bring people together for a bigger purpose: raising money to fight cancer. What began as a small neighborhood gathering has grown into a signature Cincinnati event. Over the years, the Hyde Park Blast has donated more than $600,000 to local cancer charities, including The Cure Starts Now — a groundbreaking organization dedicated not just to treating cancer, but to curing it.
The Cure Starts Now focuses on what they call the "Homerun Cure," believing that by targeting the most treatment-resistant and aggressive cancers, especially those affecting children, researchers can unlock breakthroughs that will defeat cancer as a whole. It is a bold, visionary approach that has already changed countless lives, including Evan’s.
"The Cure Starts Now gave us community and support when we needed it most," Debbie says. "They made me feel like I wasn’t alone. They understood in a way that very few people could."
For the Huey family, being part of Hyde Park Blast this year is a full-circle moment. Last year, Evan could not even attend. This year, he will be front and center, showing everyone what hope and determination look like in real life. And next year? His goal is even bigger: to walk the race himself.
“It is not just a race,” Debbie says. “It is about celebrating life, celebrating community, and celebrating every step forward.”
Hyde Park Blast is set for June 28 and promises a full day of events for every age and energy level. There is a four-mile run and walk through historic Hyde Park, bike races that wind through tree-lined streets, and a block party to end the night. Every dollar raised goes directly to support cancer research and patient support efforts in the Cincinnati area.
And if you want to get involved beyond race day, Debbie has one simple message: “Learn about it. Support it. You never know when it could be your family, your neighbor, or your friend.”
Hope has a ripple effect. It spreads through bracelets worn across the country, through friends showing up for a block party, through every mile walked and every dollar raised. It is a reminder that when communities come together, no challenge is too great.
Cancer impacts more lives than we realize. But so does hope.
Thanks to Evan and the hundreds of families who refuse to give up, they are proving every day that the cure really does start now.
Join the Fight
Sign up for the Hyde Park Blast today: www.hpblast.org
Learn more about The Cure Starts Now: www.thecurestartsnow.org
"When communities come together, no challenge is too great."
"Hope has a ripple effect."