HOW PAGE WE TAG HELP
W
hile most people know us for our research, the American Cancer Society does so much more. We attack cancer from every angle, promote healthy lifestyles, work towards better treatments, fight for lifesaving policy changes and provide everything from emotional support to the latest cancer information. We do this all 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We couldn’t do what we do without our volunteers and donors who participate in events, serve on boards and planning committees, provide peer support to other survivors and give their time to drive cancer patients to treatment. Together, we’re making a difference and you can help us save lives by becoming a volunteer, making a donation or participating in a fundraising event.
American Cancer Society Leadership
Meredith Niemeyer, American Cancer Society Executive Director
Missy Duggan, Delta Air Lines, American Cancer Society Board Chair
TABLE OF CONTENTS MORE THAN 26,766
EVENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
ANSWERED CALLS AND CHATS FROM OHIO RESIDENTS Information, answers and hope are available every minute of every day.
REAL MEN WEAR PINK . . . . . . . 7 MORE THAN 10,060 NIGHTS OF FREE OR REDUCED-COST LODGING Provided to Ohio cancer patients through our Hope Lodge® communities or Hotel Partners Program, saving patients nearly $1.5 million in lodging costs.
NEARLY 11,996 RIDES FOR PATIENTS IN OHIO TO AND FROM CANCER-RELATED TREATMENTS Through the Road to Recovery® program, saving patients more than $450,000 in transportation costs.
NEARLY 1,047 PATIENTS AND CAREGIVERS IN OHIO RECEIVED PERSONAL GUIDANCE Including help with insurance problems, referrals to local services and more.
REAL MEN WEAR PINK LIST . . . 8 ROAD TO RECOVERY . . . . . . . 10 Published in Partnership with
Locally, Veteran & Family Owned Publisher & President: Eric Harmon Custom Editor: Kevin Michell Designer: Keith Ohmer Advertising Administrator: Laura Federle Sales Executives: Brad Hoicowitz, Abbey Cummins, Rick Seeney
www.cancer.org
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2020 PAGEEVENTS TAG ResearcHERS: Women Fighting Cancer acsresearchers.org/ohio Women in cancer research are making a difference with their incredible discoveries and breakthroughs. This springtime fundraising initiative gathers donations to support their work while empowering women leaders to help the Society’s national research program.
from Cleveland to Cincinnati over the course of a four-day scenic tour while raising thousands of dollars to fight cancer. Golf Classic cincinnatigolfclassic.org Enjoy this charitable golf experience for players of any skill level on August 24 at the Kenwood Country Club. This year’s Classic will take place at the Kenwood Country Club and features putting and chipping contests and a silent auction before the golf begins in earnest at noon. A cocktail reception and dinner follow in the evening.
Relay For Life Movement relayforlife.org Relay For Life is more than a series of fundraisers for fighting cancer; it’s about community-based events that celebrate and honor survivors, caregivers and those we’ve lost through moving and inspirational ceremonies. Head to the website for information about how to start or join a Relay team, volunteer or attend a Relay For Life in your community. Pan Ohio Hope Ride panohiohoperide.org This four-day, 328-mile bicycle tour across
Ohio takes place every July to raises awareness and funds for lifesaving research, programs and services. Bicyclists will ride
Making Strides Against Breast Cancer makingstridewalk.org Join many others downtown in October for a walk with a bittersweet mix of purpose—celebrate survivorship, pay meaningful tributes to loved ones lost and unite to fight for a world without breast cancer. Lead a team or join one and walk three miles with your family, friends and neighbors for the cause.
Stay up to date on the
Arts, Entertainment & Culture in the Greater Cincy Area, visit: cincymagazine.com
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Striders’ Ball stridersball.org This November horse-themed gala is unique to our region. Enjoy food, drinks, live music, a live auction and silent auction and much more while contributing to the fight against cancer. Discovery Shop 454 Ohio Pike Cincinnati, OH 45255 513-891-8343 Donate, volunteer and shop for high- quality, gently used clothing, accessories and household items- all to benefit the ACS. Open Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Real Men Wear Pink realmenwearpinkacs.org This fundraising campaign happens through the month of October and brings together male community leaders to help
our mission to eliminate breast cancer. Real Men Wear Pink participants pledge to wear pink throughout the month to raise awareness and raise funds through peer donations and fundraising events.
www.cancer.org/ohio Find us on: Facebook @ACSOhio Twitter @ACS_Ohio Instagram @ACSOhio
www.cancer.org
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REAL MEN WEAR PINK
Continuing the Fight By Kevin Michell
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019 marked the fourth year of the American Cancer Society’s Real Men Wear Pink (RMWP) fundraising campaign and the Cincinnati chapter was proud to have 31 local men work towards the goal of raising $289,356.14 to combat breast cancer. Every October, Real Men Wear Pink brings together men throughout the region whose lives have been touched by breast cancer. Together, they work to not only raise money but also awareness of the ongoing battle against this disease. John Fay, whom many know as one of the most prominent area sportswriters covering the Cincinnati Reds, has been a participant of RMWP since its inception and returned to participate for a fourth year in a row. His wife Laura was diagnosed with breast cancer over eight years ago, eventually reaching stage four. But throughout her battle, Laura’s attitude has never wavered. “She’s never let this get her down,” Fay says. “If you didn’t know she was suffering from this disease you would have no idea… It’s never dimmed her smile or broke her spirit. That’s been an inspiration to me.” Laura and John go in for her treatments at Mercy Health three times a month, where they see so many others there going through the same fight. “If I can share her story and then at some point down the line if what we do helps so other people don’t have to go through this,” says Fay, who himself is a survivor of Hodgkin’s lymphoma, “that would be the most rewarding thing ever for me.” Fay was the top Cincinnati fundraiser during 2018’s campaign, during which the Cincinnati chapter raised the most funds—over $267,000—in the country. “The work is not done,” Fay says of the impression he wants his Real Men Wear Pink campaign to leave on people,
Chief Elliot Isaac of the Cincinnati Police, pictured with his wife Kimberly, raised over $21,000 as part of 2019’s Real Men Wear Pink campaign. whether they’ve donated to his efforts or not. “There’s just so much more to be done and I think the American Cancer Society does a great job to help people.” Cincinnati Police Department’s chief, Elliot Isaac, participated in Real Men Wear Pink for the first time in 2019 and the city’s officers joined in raising awareness through October. It’s an effort that hits close to home for both Chief Isaac and the entire police force—they’ve had many officers lose their battles with cancer, including Captain Kimberly Williams in 2018 with whom Chief Isaac was close and attended the academy. “We lost her last year to breast cancer,” Chief Isaac says. “It was less than a year from her diagnosis that she was taken by this horrible disease. So, when they asked me this year if I would consider being one of the ambassadors for the Real Men Wear Pink campaign, I was more than happy to do it.” Chief Isaac wanted Cincinnati’s Finest to use their visibility to raise awareness through pink badges, uniform patches, hats and even pink collars on police dogs, showing those dealing with breast cancer that they’re not alone in the fight.
“Even though we’ve lost [people to cancer], we also wanted to equally celebrate the survivors of it,” says Chief Isaac. “We have a number of officers who have been diagnosed with this, but they’re surviving it and doing well.” Chief Isaac ended his first stint with RMWP as the city’s top fundraiser, gathering over $21,000 in donations, and also organized a fashion show fundraiser that took place on October 5 at the Montgomery Inn Boathouse. The Fashion for a Cure event raised another $20,000 to fight breast cancer and featured guests such as Vice Mayor Christopher Smitherman and WKRC’s Angela Ingram. “Even though October is the month that we recognize this,” Chief Isaac adds, “we want to make sure this is remembered and thought about year-round. It’s about saving lives.” ■ The American Cancer Society’s Real Men Wear Pink campaign in Cincinnati is presented by TriHealth and chaired by Jeanette Altenau. Meet and support all of the men involved at realmenwearpinkacs.org. www.cancer.org
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2019 RMWP PARTICIPANTS
Congratulations to Cincinnati’s top fundraisers!
Carmon DeLeone, Cincinnati Ballet
Eddie Tyner, Enquirer Media
Todd Duesing, Cincinnati Arts Association
Kent Wellington, Graydon, Head & Ritchey
Devyn Dugger, Ohio Eagle Distributing
Walter Whitley, Fox National
Chief Elliot Isaac, Cincinnati Police Department: $21,853
John Fay, Cincinnati Enquirer Jeff Gaylor, American Heart Association
Thank you to our other 2019 participants from Dayton:
Walt Kelsey, Kelsey Chevrolet: $18,434
Daniel Ginsberg
Eric Bugger, Wright-Patt Credit Union
William Tobler, TriHealth: $16,001
Tim Godfrey, Macy’s
John Clark, eXp Realty
Brad Hansman, Medpace
Sean Clark, Rusty Wood Renovations
O’Dell Owens, Interact for Health: $15,835
Gregg Harris, Trustaff
Wayne Davis, City of Centerville
Nicholas Hodge, Kroger
John Eckelberry, Premier Health
Thank you to our other 2019 participants from Cincinnati:
Joseph Jones, Crossroads Church
Jeremy Johnson, eXp Realty
Roderick Justice, The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati
Mike Monjot, Dayton Children’s Hospital
Matt Kittell, The Warehouse
Chris Reid, Premier Health
Bill Klee, Kleemax Properties
Jeff Sergent, Dayton Physician’s Network
Marvin Butts, The Butts Family Foundation
Jay Koch, Snapbac
Jack Sowers
Dave Lapham, Cincinnati Bengals
Dave Collins, Cincinnati Reds
Michael Millay, Rooted Media House
Toby Spencer, Darke County Sheriff’s Department
David Fulcher, Cincinnati Bengals: $25,477
Yousuf Ahmad, AssureCare Marc Bellisario, Primary Health Solutions
Brian Nelson, Fifth Third Bank
See all that Cincy has to offer in the Arts, Business and Culture. Visit cincymagazine.com for a FREE subscription to Cincy Magazine
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AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY
ROAD TO RECOVERY
When a Ride Delivers More Than Transportation
F
or Jan Hollon, a close friend’s cancer diagnosis led to a new volunteer opportunity. “Star was like a sister I didn’t have,” Hollon says of her friend. “We got through a lot of hard things together.” As a retiree, Hollon was able to travel to Star’s home in another city, become a caretaker and drive her to doctors’ appointments and treatments, easing the family’s responsibilities. “She had been sick for so long and her family was trying to have a normal life themselves,” says Hollon. “We spent some precious moments together.” When Star passed, Hollon turned her experience into a positive one by volunteering to drive cancer patients to appointments through the American Cancer Society’s Road To Recovery program. Last year, the Society provided more than 340,000 rides to treatment and medical appointments for cancer patients across the country. Hollon especially likes the flexibility that the program provides. She can find her community’s needs online and at her convenience, seeing ride details such as the distance to the medical center, the length of the appointment and how many days per week or month a ride is needed. “College kids, moms whose kids are in school could easily fit a ride into their schedules,” Hollon points out. In volunteering for Road To Recovery, Jan says she’s been rewarded beyond what she anticipated. In some ways, she notes, it is easier for patients to talk to a stranger, someone who isn’t a family member or a doctor. “I wasn’t expecting to have these folks I am meeting to have such a great
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“Am I helping them or are they helping me?”
impact on me,” she says. “The people I’ve met have been unbelievably warm, generous, friendly and grateful. They lift my spirits and amaze me by their strength. I shake my head after each new patient I meet and ask myself, ‘Am I helping them, or are they helping me?’” “Everyone is so giving and loving and genuine. It has been a heartfelt experience for me,” Hollon adds. One patient came to tears when Jan told her the service is free. “Hopefully, I put a smile on their face—I know they’ve put one on mine.” ■
Volunteer now to give patients a muchneeded lift—you might be surprised by the pick-me-up you get in return. For more information, visit cancer.org/drive or 1-800-227-2345
Jan Hollon has been driving cancer patients to treatments and appointments ever since her close friend Star succumbed to cancer.
www.cancer.org
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