FOUNTAIN VALLEY : 300 at Carnival for Leukemia Victim

About 300 people attended a carnival in Mile Square Park on Saturday to throw baseballs and darts, ride an electronic surfboard, win raffle prizes and eat hot dogs. But mostly, they came to help 4-year-old Dennyelle Von Bargen.

The carnival was organized by four local businessmen to raise money for a bone marrow transplant for Dennyelle, who suffers from leukemia. The transplant cost is estimated at $150,000, and Dennyelle’s mother has no medical insurance.

Dan Gibbons, one of the carnival’s organizers, said the event brought in $10,000--about half the goal set by the group.

“With better foot traffic there, I think we could have hit our goal,” Gibbons said, adding that he hopes that money will continue to trickle in to a trust fund established for Dennyelle at the First Interstate Bank on Broadway in Laguna Beach.

“But everyone I talked to said they thought that the emotional and psychological benefits for Dennyelle were worth more than the $20,000,” Gibbons said.

Dennyelle, a bubbly child with lots of energy, is in the hospital now for more chemotherapy treatments but was released last Tuesday and spent the day at the carnival.

“She had a lot of fun,” said her mother, Karmen Von Bargen. “Her favorite part was dunking Mom in the dunking tank.”

Karmen Von Bargen said the family appreciates all the support from the group that organized the carnival and everyone who helped with it.

“It was wonderful,” she said. “All the people there were great.”