The 4th Annual Jess Fin Fest is quickly approaching and will take place on Saturday, July 13, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at North Catasauqua Park, located at 701 Grove Street.

The event, of course, is to honor Jess Finlayson, who left us too soon after a two-and-a-half year battle with brain cancer in January of 2021 at just 28-years old.

“One of the main reasons we raise money for brain cancer research is that Jess really didn’t have much of a chance once her tumor progressed to a grade 4 Glioblastoma,” said Jean Dalstad, who is Jess’s mother and president and treasurer of the Jess Fin Foundation. “In the last 40 years, there has only been five drugs and one medical device approved, and none of these extend survival for more than 2 years and none can cure brain cancer. We hope that some day soon a new treatment is discovered that not only improves survival but hopefully cures brain cancer.”

Jess was an eighth grade math teacher and the varsity girls volleyball coach at Northampton High School after graduating from Emmaus High School in 2010, and then Lebanon Valley College in 2014. She also coached the NHS middle school boys team and played in many adult volleyball leagues and tournaments throughout the Lehigh Valley.

To help honor Jess and remember her and the sport she loved, Jess Fin Fest was created as an adult coed volleyball tournament with competitive and social brackets, as well as an adult social cornhole tournament. All proceeds go to the Jess Fin Foundation, which exists to raise money for brain tumor research and provide monetary grants to Lehigh Valley individuals diagnosed with brain cancer.

The Foundation has given out three Jess Fin Grants so far.

“The Jess Fin Fest really means a lot to our family,” said Dalstad. “Jess’s friends, former middle school co-workers, her teammates, her former volleyball players and her extended family all attend the event. We raise money for our foundation’s mission, have fun doing it, and just as important to us is that Jess would have loved it too.

“We will continue to hold the Jess Fin Fest as long as we continue to get such great support. Speaking of support, we have so many to thank - our sponsors, basket donors, the recreation committee who runs the snack stand, DJ Johnzy, and the Inside Scoop, which by the way was Jess’s first employer when she was 16, for bringing their ice cream truck, and all the volunteers and attendees.”

As stated above, the event also includes lots of baskets for raffle, Jess Fin T-shirts and other items for sale. DJ Johnzy will play music and there will be a snack stand with food and drinks as well as The Inside Scoop ice cream. There will also be locally brewed beer (for a donation).

Teams are still needed as well as donations and volunteers for the event. If you’d like to sign up you can go to https://forms.gle/WPtga4sKnNsC3M9K6. You can also go to https://jessfinfoundation.org to sign up.

For the cornhole tournament, the cost is $25 per person or $50 per team with round robin style games, and a playoff. Check-in is 10:15 a.m. and games start at 11 a.m. The top-two teams get prizes.

For the volleyball tournament, the cost is $25 per person or $100 per team for quads coed. Team must have one female per team. It’s round robin style with playoffs, and top-two teams get prizes. Check-in is 8:15 a.m. and games start at 9 a.m.

For more information, email jessfinfoundation@gmail.com.