After being interrupted last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Herb and Wendy Frye were back at handing out funds raised by the Merissa L. Frye Small Cell Cervical Cancer Memorial Foundation at a golf charity event held June 26 at Wedgewood Golf Course in Center Valley.

The memorial foundation was founded by the parents of Merissa L. Frye who died of the rare cancer in 2018. Only one percent of the nation’s women are diagnosed annually with the malady.

The main recipient of the foundation’s largesse has been the Macungie Ambulance Corps. Christopher Greb, the ambulance corps’ operations manger established a program to channel the funds into CPR and first aid training courses for area volunteer firefighters, other first responder organizations and the public.

Herb Frye said he was just repaying a kindness extended by Greb during his daughter’s fight against cancer.

After Merissa Frye was diagnosed with small cell cervical cancer in 2017, her local oncologist suggested a trip to the Memorial Sloan Cancer Center in New York City to further assess her treatment options.

Seeking transportation to New York City for the assessment, Frye was offered the transport by a for-profit ambulance company for a $2,000 fee. Seeking another option, Frye went to Greb, who decided “the right thing to do” was to offer the transport at no charge.

A chance encounter between Herb Frye and Dr. Richard Boulay, who had been Merissa’s primary cancer physician, lead to Frye wanting to “do more” to express gratitude and to memorialize Merissa who died in early 2018. Boulay had prior experience with his own foundation, the Catherine Boulay memorial organization.

After further discussions growing from that chance encounter, the Merissa L. Frye Small Cell Cervical Cancer Memorial Foundation was established in 2018.

Before this year’s event, substantially more than $10,000 has been raised by the foundation. Much of that has been channeled to the ambulance corps to expand its CPR and first aid training activities. More than 150 people have been certified through the corps’ training efforts.

Other area residents have also benefited.

Two scholarships were awarded to Emmaus High School students in 2018 and 2019 and this year funds were provided for activities for the high school’s IEP (Individual Education Plan) participants.

Additionally, this year awards were made to cover nonmedical costs of those in St. Luke’s University Health Network’s cancer treatment program.

Lehigh Valley cancer screening programs and hemophiliac service programs have also benefited.