Funds Raised During Cancer Care Gala, Auction
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Jennifer [email protected]
The 2013 annual Cancer Care Fund of Kosciusko County Gala and Auction was held at Tippecanoe Lake Country Club in Leesburg and attended by 175 people.
More than $40,000 was raised during the auction portion of the night.
Administered by the K21 Health Foundation, the fund provides assistance to financially eligible residents of Kosciusko County who are suffering from cancer. The assistance provided includes rent and mortgage payments, utilities, insurance, food, car payments, prescription medications and other needs.
The theme for this year’s gala was “Color the Cure” and focused on five types of cancer: lung, breast, colon, lymphoma and stomach cancers.
Rich Haddad, K21 Health Foundation president, provided the invocation and thanked the volunteers who assisted with Idol Nite, today’s golf outing at Tippecanoe Lake Country Club, and the auction and gala that are all fundraisers for the Cancer Care Fund.
Haddad prayed for peace and comfort for the families who are suffering from and fighting cancer. He also thanked Rebecca Spitler, gala and auction chair, for her efforts.
Cathy Lumina, auction and gala committee member, provided welcoming remarks and said $70,000 was raised during last year’s gala and auction.
She said the fund has existed for 20 years and last year paid out more than $239,000 to assist 115 families.
Attendees had the opportunity to bid on live and silent auction items. Metzger Auctions & Appraisers served as the auctioneer. Some of the items auctioned off were Indianapolis Colts suite tickets, a family portrait in New York City, dinner and wine pairing for eight at Cerulean Restaurant in Indianapolis and a Marco Island vacation and dinner for six at the Marco Island Yacht Club.
MudLOVE bracelets were sold with proceeds going to the fund and Ace Hardware, Warsaw, donated floral centerpieces that were auctioned off.
Featured speaker Dee Salmons, Warsaw, talked about how the Cancer Care Fund assisted her husband, Steve, who lost his battle with colorectal cancer on Oct. 24. He was diagnosed with stage 4 colorectal cancer on Christmas Eve 2011.
Salmons said during their first visit to the Cancer Care Center at Kosciusko Community Hospital, LuAnn Deafenbaugh, nurse practitioner, informed them of the Cancer Care Fund.
She said they went to the K21 Health Foundation and were amazed at the level of assistance that was offered.
For the next 10 months the fund helped pay home and vehicle payments.
Steve was laid off, and they filed for Social Security disability benefits. They were informed Steve qualified under a compassionate allowance diagnosis, but would have to wait five months to receive benefits.
“He died six days before his waiting period was up for the check,” Salmons said.
“Our kids and I can be OK because my husband had faith in Jesus Christ that cancer couldn’t touch,” she said.
By the time Steve passed away, more than a $1.5 million was billed to insurance, and one chemotherapy treatment was $65,000.
“There was no way my family could have survived had it not been for an entire community of people who came together, a big part of that being the Cancer Care Fund,” Salmons said. “I am so grateful for this fund and I am privileged to stand in front of you and personally thank all of you.”
Salmons said she hopes the fund will help others as it has assisted her family.
Kylene Crabb, 2013 Idol Nite Judge’s Choice winner, sang during the event. Bob List Photography took photos of attendees.[[In-content Ad]]
The 2013 annual Cancer Care Fund of Kosciusko County Gala and Auction was held at Tippecanoe Lake Country Club in Leesburg and attended by 175 people.
More than $40,000 was raised during the auction portion of the night.
Administered by the K21 Health Foundation, the fund provides assistance to financially eligible residents of Kosciusko County who are suffering from cancer. The assistance provided includes rent and mortgage payments, utilities, insurance, food, car payments, prescription medications and other needs.
The theme for this year’s gala was “Color the Cure” and focused on five types of cancer: lung, breast, colon, lymphoma and stomach cancers.
Rich Haddad, K21 Health Foundation president, provided the invocation and thanked the volunteers who assisted with Idol Nite, today’s golf outing at Tippecanoe Lake Country Club, and the auction and gala that are all fundraisers for the Cancer Care Fund.
Haddad prayed for peace and comfort for the families who are suffering from and fighting cancer. He also thanked Rebecca Spitler, gala and auction chair, for her efforts.
Cathy Lumina, auction and gala committee member, provided welcoming remarks and said $70,000 was raised during last year’s gala and auction.
She said the fund has existed for 20 years and last year paid out more than $239,000 to assist 115 families.
Attendees had the opportunity to bid on live and silent auction items. Metzger Auctions & Appraisers served as the auctioneer. Some of the items auctioned off were Indianapolis Colts suite tickets, a family portrait in New York City, dinner and wine pairing for eight at Cerulean Restaurant in Indianapolis and a Marco Island vacation and dinner for six at the Marco Island Yacht Club.
MudLOVE bracelets were sold with proceeds going to the fund and Ace Hardware, Warsaw, donated floral centerpieces that were auctioned off.
Featured speaker Dee Salmons, Warsaw, talked about how the Cancer Care Fund assisted her husband, Steve, who lost his battle with colorectal cancer on Oct. 24. He was diagnosed with stage 4 colorectal cancer on Christmas Eve 2011.
Salmons said during their first visit to the Cancer Care Center at Kosciusko Community Hospital, LuAnn Deafenbaugh, nurse practitioner, informed them of the Cancer Care Fund.
She said they went to the K21 Health Foundation and were amazed at the level of assistance that was offered.
For the next 10 months the fund helped pay home and vehicle payments.
Steve was laid off, and they filed for Social Security disability benefits. They were informed Steve qualified under a compassionate allowance diagnosis, but would have to wait five months to receive benefits.
“He died six days before his waiting period was up for the check,” Salmons said.
“Our kids and I can be OK because my husband had faith in Jesus Christ that cancer couldn’t touch,” she said.
By the time Steve passed away, more than a $1.5 million was billed to insurance, and one chemotherapy treatment was $65,000.
“There was no way my family could have survived had it not been for an entire community of people who came together, a big part of that being the Cancer Care Fund,” Salmons said. “I am so grateful for this fund and I am privileged to stand in front of you and personally thank all of you.”
Salmons said she hopes the fund will help others as it has assisted her family.
Kylene Crabb, 2013 Idol Nite Judge’s Choice winner, sang during the event. Bob List Photography took photos of attendees.[[In-content Ad]]
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