Scott Loeb was only 4 years old when he woke up one night screaming that he had a bad headache. Within 48 hours, Scott had undergone surgery and was diagnosed with medulloblastoma. Brain cancer. He passed away in October 2005 after a valiant fight for his life at the age of 5.

Scott left behind a heartbroken family including his older brother, Brett, and parents, Debbie and Larry. Scott’s legacy was his contagious smile.

The Loebs, with the support of family and friends, founded their Plainview-based non-profit, the Smiles for Scott Foundation (SFS), the following spring to help other children suffering from cancer. “We wanted it [SFS] to be about kids and not research,” Debbie explains. “It was important to me to make it about the kids. It’s a long journey [for children] being in the hospital.”

Debbie credits her friend and board member, Amy LoBocchiaro, with creating the concept of using a candy wagon: a bright red Radio Flyer that would be utilized to distribute colorful candy to children with cancer. The wagon would contain sweets to remember Scott’s sweet smile.

Every Friday, Debbie, her sister Sandi Kroll or Amy go to Schneider’s Children’s Hospital in New Hyde Park with a wagon filled with candy. They make their way to the inpatient pediatric cancer unit, and once there, go from bed to bed visiting the children and filling up bags of candy that each child selects from the wagon.

“Scott would be loving this,” Debbie says. “I know a lot of the candy ends up in the garbage, there’s no way they can eat it, but the kids look forward to it knowing we’ll be there on Fridays.” Of the gratitude that’s expressed by the children and their parents, she says, “I get some amazing letters and thank yous.”

SFS administers a few different programs to bring smiles to as many children as possible. Sandi oversees Scott’s Treasures, a treasure chest filled with smiley toys and goodies that are given to children after their radiation treatments at the Cancer Center for Kids at Winthrop University Hospital. SFS also provides support to Sunrise Day Camp, Camp Adventure, The Morgan Center and McAngels, all local camps and schools that work with children suffering from cancer.

In the near future Debbie plans to expand the candy program to include Stony Brook Hospital, but says that she would like to keep the programs local and manageable. “I want to make sure there’s follow through,” she says. “From soup to nuts, it’s all us.” That means that Debbie buys every bag of candy herself. Nothing is ordered online or delivered, she hand selects everything personally. It is a true labor of love.

SFS doesn’t sponsor many fundraisers; they host an annual bowling night but their main source of donations comes from a yearly letter-writing campaign that Larry Loeb sends to SFS supporters in the local Plainview and Syosset areas. The Loebs use the money that is contributed to buy the candy for the wagon. They have also donated a video library and DVD player for every pediatric cancer room at Schneider’s.

When I asked Debbie how much time it takes her to deliver the candy, she said thoughtfully, “For me, it takes about three hours—I know a lot of people there. It’s the job that I absolutely hate to love. But, I do love it,” she says. “Sometimes it’s hard to go up there. For no good reason... or for every reason in the world.”

For more information or to make a donation go to www.SmilesforScott.org or e-mail info@SmilesforScott.org.

If you know a super woman who deserves good Fortune—and a profile—e-mail your nominations to Beverly at bfortune@longislandpress.com.