Photography by Spacecrafting
Steve and Becky Chepokas
Before Mitch Chepokas died 22 years ago of bone cancer at the age of 9, he had simple yet generous plans. Having spent a considerable amount of time in the hospital, he had enjoyed the generosity of his community, but he was also privy to what other children didn’t have. When he heard a family crying about not having enough money for Christmas, he asked his Dad, Steve, how much money he had in his bank account. Then he told his Dad he wanted to withdraw all $6,000 of his savings and hand it out to other children in the pediatric oncology unit. Honoring his son’s wishes, Steve emptied his son’s account and set to wheeling Mitch around, surreptitiously dropping off envelopes stuffed with $100 bills with a note on the outside: “Love you XOXO Mitch.” When one family nearly caught him, the father and son ran down the hall and hid in the elevator, where Mitch told his Dad he wanted to do it again next year. Tragically, they both knew there wouldn’t be a next year for Mitch, so they pinky swore that his parents would carry on the tradition without him.
Two-plus decades later, Steve and his wife Becky have set the 501(c)3, Pinky Swear Foundation, up for success with a staff that helps kids with cancer (and their families) nationwide, distributing envelopes of gift cards and letters of encouragement to help with housing, transportation, and groceries — the nuts and bolts of getting through treatment so families can focus on their kids.
“There were all these little cracks that these families were falling through,” says Becky, Mitch’s mom. “They are sitting in the hospital with their child, just trying to process what’s happening. Meanwhile, all the bills at home are starting to pile up. But, of course, that’s the last thing on their mind. Property taxes are due. The car breaks down. Who is helping with those things if they don’t have a support system? Or maybe the kid gets to come home and wants to throw a party. Who’s paying? That’s where Pinky Swear Foundation comes in.”
The need is ever more significant these days, but Steve and Becky are confident they have put the right team in place to serve as many families as possible. “We’re here to help families focus on foundational emotional memories. When the rest of everyone’s life continues, they’re not alone. Someone is there to support and help them.”
