Nine-year-old Cassidy Otto died in 2020 after battling brain cancer, but her spirit continues to touch lives through her foundation.
WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. — A symphony of smiles filled the air in Wesley Chapel this weekend as hundreds gathered for the annual Cassidy Otto Stomp Out Cancer 5K and Fashion Festival.
The event honors 9-year-old Cassidy Otto, who died in 2020 after battling brain cancer, but whose spirit continues to touch lives through her foundation.
“She always had a smile even when she was going in for chemotherapy or had to have a platelet transfusion,” said Kristin Otto, Cassidy’s mother. “Cass was silly, she was goofy, she was always smiling.”
Before her illness, Cassidy filled notebooks with fashion designs, creating outfits for girls of all types. Those creative visions were brought to life at Sunday’s Fashionista Festival.
“Before her cancer treatment, she used to fill up notebooks full of outfits and draw girls of all different types, all different outfits,” said Casey Otto, Cassidy’s father.
Children from the community spent time coloring reproductions of Cassidy’s original artwork at a special activity station, keeping her artistic vision alive through each brushstroke.
As Cassidy faced her diagnosis, she shared one heartfelt concern with her parents.
“She didn’t want to be forgotten, as if we would forget her,” Kristin Otto explained. “She was worried that once she was gone, that we would forget her and we would move on with life.”
The family promised they would keep her memory alive, transforming their grief into gratitude by establishing the Cassidy Otto Stomp Out Cancer Foundation.
“We told her that would never happen,” said Kristin. “We were confirming that it would never happen through the beginning of Cassidy Otto Stomp Out Cancer Foundation.”
While the annual run draws hundreds of participants, the true heart of this year’s event was the Fashionista Festival, featuring young cancer patients and survivors as runway models.
“It is her passion for fashion, and this year we’re having the Fashionista Festival,” Kristin said. “We were actually able to bring in children from the cancer center and other cancer warriors and survivors to be our models on the catwalk.”
The foundation also partnered with Moffitt Cancer Center to provide free health screenings at the event.
“The Moffitt Bus is here. They’re providing both skin cancer and head and neck cancer screenings,” Kristin noted, emphasizing the importance of early detection.
Throughout the day, Cassidy’s presence was felt in everything from the artwork displays to the fashion show that celebrated her creative spirit.
“She does have a smile, she lights up the room, she lights up the world, and we hope that continues long after the event today,” said Kristin.
For the Otto family, seeing the community come together in their daughter’s memory brings a special kind of comfort.
“It warms our heart and I know she’s happy,” Casey Otto said, watching young models walk the runway in a celebration of life that would have made his fashion-loving daughter proud.
