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Maria's Field of Hope sunflower field sprouts up at new location in Sandusky

Posted at 12:14 PM, May 30, 2019
and last updated 2019-06-05 10:41:46-04

SANDUSKY, Ohio — Maria's Field of Hope sunflower field, a garden of sunflowers aimed at raising awareness about childhood cancer, is sprouting up at a new location.

Cedar Point and Prayers From Maria partnered together to bring the popular field to Sandusky. On June 5, there will be a "Planting Hope" ceremony to celebrate the groundbreaking of the new field located next to Cedar Point's Express Hotel, 1201 Cedar Point Drive.

Watch the 11:00 a.m. press conference live below.

The field started with the planting of seeds in 2014 and has turned into a sea of sunflowers that have been captured on social media countless times.

The original field, located at 34925 Chester Road in Avon, has been an anchor of inspiration for cancer survivors and their families. It was started by the McNamara family who lost their 7-year-old daughter Maria after she was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive tumor called diffused intrinsic pontine glioma.

Since her death, the McNamara family has set up the Prayers for Maria organization to help fund childhood cancer research and to continue her legacy that she left behind.