'Team Dylan' Turns Out In Force At Parade For Teen With Cancer

NORTH FORK, NY — No pandemic could stop a caring community from turning out in support of one of their own, a local teen who is battling cancer.

Main Road was a sea of green stretching from Greenport to Mattituck Saturday as residents rallied and decorated their vehicles with balloons, banners, and signs that read "Stronger Together," for the "Team Dylan North Fork Parade" to benefit a Dylan Newman, 16, of Southold.

Many cars had "#5" displayed, Dylan's number on the baseball field. Horns honking and participants cheering, the parade began in Greenport and ended in the Mattituck shopping plaza.

Dozens signed up to participate as the community rallied in solidarity.

Dylan, along with his family and friends, watched the parade from the Southold Fire Department and met the parade at the Mattituck shopping plaza.

(Video by Lisa Finn / Patch )

"There was amazing, amazing support from our community," said Jessica Michaelis, who organized the event with Britta Babashak and Kim Kraehling. "I am so proud to be a part of it. I can’t thank everyone enough for the support. My phone has been ringing non-stop with people wanting to still donate because they saw us driving by."

There's still time to donate: A donation of $20 was suggested for each car. To make a donation, contact Michaelis at 443-223-5915 or 516-857-7516.

Funds raised at the event will benefit the Newman family.

"Dylan is heading for a second round of treatment," Michaelis said. "We wanted the North Fork community to come together in a socially distanced way to show our love and support to the Newman family."

Jen Becker is selling masks for Dylan's benefit; she can be found on Facebook as "Designs by Jen." Wendy's Deli is also selling "Team Dylan" masks to benefit the Newman family.

The whole community has rallied for Dylan — whose treatments began in May, 2018 — with a series of fundraisers, including, a Kait's Angels yard sale and a "Team Dylan #5 Fundraiser" held at Claudio's.

Other events, packed with a friends and supporters, have included a "Dash for Dylan" fundraiser that brought more than 400 to the Southold Junior/Senior High School gym. Supporters also teamed up to "Pack The Shack" at another fundraiser, "Food For A Cause," held at The North Fork Shack.

Dylan, a YouCaring page set up to help said, is "full of love and life. He loves his sports — especially baseball. He has an amazing family that loves him more than he could ever know and the greatest friends that will always have his back."

However, their family was hit with devastating news. "This boy has been thrown a real curve ball," the page says. "Our #5 is 'In It To Win It' but will need our support."

The goal is to raise funds to help Dylan, along with his parents, Todd and Tanya, and sister Kelsey with the financial burdens as Dylan receives treatment.

Todd Newman, Dylan's dad, said his whole family is grateful for outpouring of caring from a devoted community.

"We have an army behind us to beat this," he said. "This community has been so good to us."