Community rallies for Katie Arietta
Nicola Pizza and the local community came together Nov. 19, to give Katie Arietta a giant village hug and donations as she battles cancer. Nicola donated 20% of all dine-in sales to help defray the cost of Arietta’s ongoing medical expenses.
There was also a 50/50 and a ticket raffle for gift cards and baskets of goodies donated from the community.
In May 2021, Cape 2002 grad Katie (Elrod) Arietta was diagnosed with skin cancer, a stage 3B melanoma that had spread to her lymph nodes. She had surgery to remove the mole that it originated in as well as lymph nodes. As a precaution, she was treated with 12 months of immunotherapy to help prevent any recurrence. Unfortunately, the day before the 12th treatment, Katie found out the treatments had not worked and that she did have a melanoma recurrence, with an even further spread.
A scan last year revealed the melanoma has metastasized to other organs and her brain. Her doctors allowed her to leave the hospital to attend the benefit.
Karli Crenshaw, Katie’s best friend since seventh grade, thanked the community for their outpouring of love.
“Thank you to everyone that made Katie’s fundraiser such a success, including Nicola and those that donated auction items, and everyone that attended,” Crenshaw said. “Seeing people from every corner of our community rally around one of our own, especially someone as deserving as Katie, was truly heartwarming.”
Anyone who wasn’t able to make it to the fundraiser but would still like to make a donation may do so at Arietta’s GoFundMe page.
“Thank you for all of your support, your hugs and your love and well wishes,” said Arietta.
Dan has worked for the Cape Gazette for more than 30 years as a photographer and reporter, covering high school sports and happenings around eastern Sussex County. He won a photography award from the National Newspaper Association, and numerous awards from the Maryland, Delaware, D.C. Press Association. A Delaware native, Dan graduated from Cape in 1972 and returned as a teacher and coach in the 1980s. He retired from the classroom in 2016. He was inducted into Cape High’s Legends Stadium in 2016. In his spare time, Dan enjoys spending time with his wife, two sons, grandchildren and dogs.
