'He's very excited': Super Evan, 7, to lead Hampton’s Holiday Parade amid cancer battle

HAMPTON — On Dec. 4, Santa’s going to get help welcoming the crowds that line the town's streets when Evan Austin takes his seat as grand marshal at the town’s annual Holiday Parade.

The 7-year-old is the son of Jess and Brent Austin and brother to 10-year-old sister Avery. He’s a second-grader at Hampton’s Centre School who loves baseball, basketball, Legos and Star Wars.

He’s also a warrior in his personal battle against a rare form of childhood brain cancer, diffused intrinsic pontine glioma, DIPG for short.

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Experience Hampton, which puts on the annual parade, named Evan as the grand marshal.

The parade is returning after a hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic that canceled so many holiday traditions last year. The two-mile parade steps off at 1 p.m. along Lafayette Road (Route 1) with a theme of “Holiday Memories.”

Evan will take his place along with 85 parade entries, including marching bands from New Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts.

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“He’s very excited, though I don’t think he understands what the term grand marshal means,” Jess Austin said. “But he’s excited to be in the parade and to ride in a convertible.”

Hampton’s Holiday Parade will be just the start of a busy December for Evan and the Austin family. Along with Evan’s expected visit from Santa on Christmas Eve, he’ll be the star of “Evan Austin Day,” when the town of Hampton celebrates his eighth birthday on Dec. 17.

“It started when some of our friends had this idea of doing something in the school with the kids wearing their Super Evan shirts,” Austin said. “Then local businesses got involved. We’ve had tons of them call us.”

On Dec. 17, those strolling into Hampton’s local businesses may find employees wearing Super E (for Evan) garb, she said, and some owners may be offering discounts to customers sporting a t-shirt with a Super E shield on the chest.

Some restaurants have offered to donate a portion of their receipts, which will be donated to The Cure Starts Now, Austin said. The charity funds research for the rare type of cancer that affects Evan, according to Austin.

Evan was diagnosed with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma in 2019, at the age of 5. DIPG is a form of cancer that affects the brainstem, and is so rare only 150-300 children in the United States are diagnosed annually. In the past two years, Evan’s undergone multiple courses of treatment, including chemotherapy and radiation.

The Austin family, Evan’s friends and the Hampton community have worked to spread awareness that can lead to more funding for research for DIPG, for this type of pediatric cancer is significantly underfunded.

According to Austin, only about 4% of government cancer research goes towards pediatric cancer each year, and less than one percent of that goes to DIPG research.

To donate to DIPG research, or to learn more, visit The Cure Starts Now at thecurestartsnow.org/support/view-heroes/evan-austin.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Super Evan, 7, to lead Hampton NH Holiday Parade amid cancer battle