WEIRTON — Kristin Andrews was just a senior attending Weir High School when she received a diagnosis of cancer, after which she quickly died from the disease. Her parents, Brian and Joan Andrews, along with her sister, Kelsey, were longtime residents of Weirton prior to moving to Morgantown years ago.

The charity they started, Kelsey’s Christmas, has grown substantially through its 19 years. It began with a few carloads of donations and became an event which required the use of a large U-haul encompassing close to more than $15,000 worth of toys, pajamas, socks, teenage items, craft kits, toiletries and gift cards for children having to stay in a hospital setting.

The family of Kristin, along with her friends, are truly an example of possessing true Christian values — taking a heartbreaking situation and transforming it into an example of acceptance and following God’s will, a family spokesperson stated.

The 19th-annual Kelsey’s Christmas event is scheduled to take place from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Oct. 29 at Weirton’s Primanti Bros., located at 255 St. Thomas Drive. Event sales at the restaurant that day will see 20 percent of the proceeds go toward the charity.

Items can be donated during the event, along with several drawings scheduled to take place for an opportunity to win gift cards to businesses such as Mario’s, Basil’s Sports Bar and Grill, Chrissy Fierro Photography, Eat n’ Park, John Michael, Deejay’s, the Coffee Bean, Tudor’s Biscuit World and more.

Tickets are $1 for one, $5 for seven or $10 for 15 tickets. Tickets can be purchased at RE Saxon, Country Delights or Coffee Bean.

\Child Life at West Virginia University Medicine Children’s Hospital will receive items to distribute to its children, according to organizers.

Monetary donations can be made out to Brooke Hancock FRN and mailed to: Joan Andrews, 15 Oak Court, Morgantown, WV 26505.