Wharton Park Disc Golf Course in Kenton Raising Money for Memorial Benches in Honor of Two Young Men Who Battled Cancer

The Wharton Park Disc Golf Course in Kenton is rallying the community for a very special cause. They would like to honor the memories of two young men who showed the community what true strength and bravery meant as they both battled cancer throughout their short lives.

They feel that Blaze Keim and William “Mason” Bloom deserve lasting memorials at the disc golf course, and they plan to raise money for two custom made benches that were chosen by the families.  Each bench will be placed in a specific location with both overlooking the park.

Both Blaze and Mason enjoyed outdoor activities and Mason was an avid disc golfer.

These are their stories from the Gofundme page:

“Blaze Keim passed away on June 24, 2022. He was soon to be turning 15 and had battled leukemia since he was two years old. Over the span of his short lifetime, his leukemia had come back 11 times- each time stronger than the last. But anyone who knew Blaze, knew he never let it dull his shine.

While it made him wise beyond his years, somehow he was still able to carry such a pure, young filled soul. Blaze loved spending time with his family. Partaking in outdoor activities and cracking jokes. You could also find him with nerf guns in hand or enjoying video gaming!

Blaze knew how to take joy in the small things in life but his smile and personality were always larger than life. His journey on Earth inspired so many people and created a large community for childhood cancer. Even in his last hours, he was still experiencing life by camping for his first time ever. We saw many miracles happen during his journey with cancer and the miracle of all of the moments with him will live on.”

“William “Mason” Bloom fought a courageous battle against osteosarcoma until Monday, May 23, 2022. Mason was a 2018 graduate of Kenton High school where he was a member of the football, swim, and tennis teams.

Mason also followed in his family’s footsteps in receiving his State FFA degree as a member of the Kenton FFA just like his grandfather, father, and sisters. Mason continued his education at Toledo University pursing elementary education and participating in the Rocket Disc Golf Club until his fight with cancer got in the way.

Mason’s role in the community transitioned from athlete to coach with Mason sharing his knowledge with all the youth involved in the Kenton Stingrays swim team, the Hardin County YMCA Sea Dragons swim team, and the Kenton 8th Grade Football Team. Mason also loved the team that was constantly “firing him up”: the Cleveland Browns. He was always willing to talk, watch, or teach football.

Mason’s other passion was disc golf: when Mason wasn’t sleeping, he could be found playing disc golf with his best friends Steven, Connor, Parker, Trent, Alex, and his father, who he lovingly referred to as “Jefferson”; putting into his disc golf basket in the family’s living room; or watching disc golf videos. Mason was well loved by the community around him and greatly appreciated the support provided to both him and his family.”

They have set up a GoFundme account in hopes of meeting their fundraising goal.  They are also able to accept donations through Venmo and Paypal. 

The Wharton Park Disc Golf Course hopes the community can come together to help honor these two courageous young men.

If you would like to donate towards the two memorial benches, please use one of the options below:

Venmo: @mikestyer3

Paypal: teresamike@columbus.rr.com 

Gofundme: https://gofund.me/bc0a8a60

For more information, please contact Mike Styer at The Wharton Park Disc Golf Course on Facebook.