Annual tailgate party raises $110K
500 people supported cancer patients while enjoying some college football Saturday.
The sixth annual Tailgate Party for Our Promise Cancer Resources drew donors and Razorback fans to The Hotel Hot Springs & Spa Saturday evening. Participants had the opportunity to support Our Promise’s mission through silent auctions while watching the Arkansas-Auburn football game over dinner.
Prior to the event, Our Promise executive director Stacey Pierce said that this year’s tailgate party was set to raise more than $100,000 — more than $85,000 than the organization’s first tailgate party, which took place in 2011.
Our Promise, which earned 501(c)3 status in 2010, realized its need to raise money for cancer patients after noticing the expenses that begin to appear in a patient’s life once they undergo treatment. The expenses, such as wigs, copays for drugs and traveling for treatment, affect all cancer patients, regardless of insurance coverage or position in life.
Dr. Tim Webb, an oncologist with Genesis Cancer Center and a member of Our Promise, said that the organization pays for the patients’ expenses after they bring them the bill.
“Whatever the patients need immediately, we try to take care of that,” Pierce said.
Webb said that Our Promise puts on other fundraising events through out the year, such as a food fight and an “ugly sweater run” in Garvan Woodland Gardens, but described the tailgate party as the “signature event” that funds Our Promise’s donations to patients for nearly a year.
“We try to spend every bit of money we get,” Webb said.
Saturday night’s tailgate party also featured the presentation of the organization’s Marge Mitchell Community Service Award, which was given to Joe Wilson of Wilson Auctioneers Inc., and the Survivor Award, which was given to Patty Roddenberry, of Hot Springs.
The party also featured a recognition of the 23 enrollees in Our Promise’s Young Men Of Distinction program, which gives high school boys the opportunity to promote cancer awareness and raise money for the organization.
Pierce said that with the 23 young men who enrolled this year, YMOD has officially pinned more than 100 local youths into the program.
“They’re incredible young men,” Pierce said of this year’s inductees. “They want to give back to their community, and I’m glad they want to do that through Our Promise.”
Although the attendees weren’t
able to witness a Razorback victory Saturday, they were able to collectively raise more than $110,000 by the end of the night — at least 10 percent more funds than Pierce had said at the night’s beginning.
YMOD President Isaac Schaffer, 17, of Lakeside High School, said that he is happy with Our Promise’s mission.
“It’s a great organization. I’ve been here for three years, and we pretty much raise money for cancer patients and give out gas cards and hotel rooms and things to people who come to the cancer treatment center here in Hot Springs. We do this big event to raise money every year,” Schaffer said. “It’s an exciting program.”