The Communities Against Cancer nonprofit is bringing the Costume Chaos 5K back to Crestview on Saturday, October 3, with an expanded mission: helping four local families navigating cancer diagnoses.

• The charity 5K run and walk begins at 8:00 a.m. at 3059 Adora Teal Way in Crestview. Registration is $35 and closes September 26, though day-of registration will be available beginning at 6:00 a.m. Click here to register.

Last October, the inaugural Costume Chaos 5K raised money for Rupi Danlag, a Crestview toddler who was battling Stage 4 Anaplastic Wilms Tumor, a rare and aggressive kidney cancer. A year later, Rupi is cancer-free and thriving. Her mother, Lita Danlag, has joined the Communities Against Cancer board.

Trey Carmical, Founder of Communities Against Cancer, said last year’s event raised enough to support the Danlag family and keep funds in the account to help four or five additional families throughout the year.

“To me, there’s nothing more rewarding than seeing the gratitude on somebody’s face when you can help them in that sort of situation that they’re in,” Carmical said. “Especially those that don’t ask for it. None of these families have asked for help.”

This year’s recipients include a baby girl fighting eye cancer, a teenager battling bone cancer, a mother of three facing breast cancer, and the family of a beloved Crestview teacher who died from ovarian cancer this summer.

Ella Grace Atkins

Ella Grace Atkins was born at 37 weeks and spent her first 25 days in the NICU, where she was diagnosed with a rare genetic condition called 13q deletion syndrome. Because of the genetic deletion, Ella is predisposed to developing retinoblastoma, a rare form of eye cancer.

At just 3 months old, Ella was diagnosed with retinoblastoma. She is being treated at Children’s of Alabama, where she has completed two of six rounds of chemotherapy. Her tumor has begun to shrink, and her doctors are hopeful that continued chemotherapy and laser treatment can save her eye and preserve as much of her vision as possible.

Because Ella’s condition is so rare, her doctors cannot predict exactly how it will affect her as she grows. They expect she will face developmental delays and is at higher risk for secondary cancers, but her family is learning to navigate the unknowns one day at a time.

Wyatt Moore

Wyatt Moore, 17, was diagnosed in February with an osteosarcoma of his right femur after what his family initially thought was normal knee pain for a kid who had grown to 6-foot-4 and was active in sports. He was referred to UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville, where he underwent a six-hour limb-saving surgery and has endured 29 weeks of chemotherapy. 

His mother, Lisa Moore, stopped working to remain with Wyatt during treatments in Gainesville. The family, which includes Wyatt’s sister Madison, had already faced heartbreak. In October 2021, Wyatt’s father, Adam Moore, died of COVID pneumonia at age 48, just six months after the family moved to Niceville so the children could attend Rocky Bayou Christian School.

“Our family has remained strong in faith, and we have had support from so many to get us through this difficult time,” Lisa Moore said. “Wyatt has remained strong and has placed his faith in the forefront of this journey knowing that God will use him for big things for the future and that he is so loved.”

Nicole Bailey

Nicole Bailey, born and raised in Crestview, is a mother of three and a grandmother of three who has shared more than 30 years with her husband. She was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer in June 2025, shortly after losing her mother.

Her treatment quickly became complicated when she went into kidney and liver failure, forcing her to stop chemotherapy. She later underwent a double mastectomy and was then diagnosed with sarcoidosis, making further maintenance treatment difficult for her body to handle. She is now facing another concerning lump and more uncertainty.

For Bailey, being part of the Costume Chaos 5K is about more than cancer. It is about celebrating life, family, community and the strength it takes to keep moving forward, according to the nonprofit.

Shonda Luke

Shonda Luke, 41, taught kindergarten at Bob Sikes Elementary School in Crestview for 13 years before losing her battle with ovarian cancer on June 16. She was known for her smile, kind heart and gentle spirit, and had a special gift for loving children, affectionately calling each of her students “her babies.”

She is survived by her husband, Adrian Luke, their son Aiden and daughter Brynlee. Whether she was cheering from the stands at Aiden’s baseball games or watching Brynlee play volleyball, she was always their biggest supporter.

Carmical said Communities Against Cancer had planned to support Shonda before her passing and is committed to helping the Luke family with the financial burden that remains.

• “Bills don’t go away,” Carmical said. “So we’re still going to help that family.”

Carmical, whose wife Sabrina battled breast cancer, started Communities Against Cancer with the belief that cancer is a journey that shouldn’t be walked alone. He said the decision to help four families this year came from the success of the inaugural event.

“Sabrina and I said there’s no way we can ever pay back this community for the help that they gave us, but we’re going to keep trying the best that we can do,” he said. “As little as it may be helping, it’s something…and we know how that feels.”

The nonprofit is also offering incentive giveaways to encourage donations and registration. A six-night stay at Edgewater Beach Condominium in Destin for up to seven guests, sponsored by the MaleiaStrong Foundation, will be raffled off at the event. Every $25 donation through the RunSignUp page earns one entry. A smoker donated by Crestview Wholesale Outdoors will also be given away.

Carmical said Communities Against Cancer is planning additional fundraising events throughout the year, including a motorcycle ride in the spring with Emerald Coast Harley-Davidson.

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

Registration costs $35 and ends September 26 at 11:59 p.m. Day-of registration begins at 6:00 a.m. on October 3. Click here to register. Donations can also be made through the RunSignUp page. Follow the Communities Against Cancer Facebook page for updates.