18th annual Kammy's Kause aims to raise thousands for rare chromosome disorder

FORTVILLE — The 18^th annual Kammy’s Kause is taking over Fortville’s Landmark Park this weekend to honor Kammy Hiner, a young woman with a rare chromosome disorder.

“When she was born was Diagnosed about a month afterwards with a very rare chromosome disorder called 4 P minus,” Kammy’s dad Jared Hiner said.

“4P minus is, in Kam’s case, is she’s missing at the P portion of one of her fourth chromosomes,” Hiner said.

He told WRTV the disorder impacts Kammy’s everyday life.

“Kam is going to need to be looked after for the rest of her life, you know, she's not going to be able to have her own apartment or have her own house," Jared said. "So she's going to be with us you know for the remainder of our lives at least."

When she was born nearly 21 years ago, not much was known about her disorder.

“They said if she lived past a year, she was going to be a vegetable. That's like the limited amount of information they knew in the beginning. I mean she's anything but,” Jared said.

The lack of information wasn’t acceptable to Jared and that’s how Kammy’s Kause got its start.

“We took it upon ourselves to raise the money to be the funding for those research programs to spread awareness and this will be our 18th year to date. We're the largest in the world doing what we do,” Jared said.

Every year Kammy’s Kause takes over Fortville.

“Once you come to one Kammy’s Kause you're going to come to everyone after that I promise you,” Jared said.

Jared said it's no easy feat, but he continues to fight — fight for research, for support, for Kammy.

“It's her you know; it's seeing that she's still fighting so you know why can't we?” Jared said.

There will be live music, a kid zone, an auction and dozens of vendors at Landmark Park on Saturday from 12-10 p.m.

The event is free to the public and all of the money goes directly to the 4p- Support Group.

When Jared first joined the 4P-Support Group, their annual income was around $800. After the first Kammy’s Kause in 2004, they raised $1,000 in an afternoon.

What started as a small event with 50 attendees has now turned into an all-day music event with thousands of attendees. To date, they have raised more than $500,000.

On Saturday morning there is also Kammy’s Ride. This is a motorcycle ride that meets on Main Street in Fortville at 9 a.m. Saturday morning and leaves at 10 a.m.

You can learn more about Kammy’s Kause here. You can learn more about the rare disorder, 4p- here.