Online fundraisers bid war on cancer

During every softball or baseball game their twins, Kyle and Kayla, play in, parents Tim and Dana Zizak can be found behind the dugout, cheering. The twins will be sophomores at Sarasota High School and play for the junior varsity baseball and softball teams, respectively.

But after 41-year-old Dana was diagnosed with grade 3 breast cancer in March, the Zizaks went from being the No. 1 cheerleaders to needing a support team of their own. 

Christy Cohen, Dana’s sister, stepped up to rally that team. She started by setting up a GoFundMe account that aims to collect $20,000 to help fund Dana’s chemotherapy treatment.

“We have a lot of good family and friends,” Cohen said. “All the kids on the teams signed a pink baseball hat for her.”
At press time Wednesday, 83 people had contributed $14,048 in one month to help the Zizak family pay for treatments. Cohen and family friend Cara Noreika recently found another way to help Dana: They created an online auction.

“I am a web developer, and by nature, I thought that trying to find a way to bring businesses together and get local support would be a great way to do that,” Noreika said. “The people who are donating it are getting something out of it.”

Throughout June, organizers have been collecting items and receiving donations for the auction. Items include pieces by silk artist Jean Baptiste and gift cards for local restaurants, including the Shore Diner, Crop Juice and Owen’s Fish Camp.

More than 90 items will be included in the auction which goes live July 1, at 32auctions.com/danasfight. Those seeking to contribute and/or bid for items will have until midnight July 31.

“I don’t know if she quite knows how to handle it,” Cohen said of Dana Zizak. “It’s not always easy to accept help.”