Getting Ready to Run!

Heather Ridley-Fleeman

It's March - National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month - and we're getting ready for our annual race, the Heather Ridley-Fleeman Battle for Hope. It was named in memory of a young woman from Northwest Arkansas who lost her life to colon cancer nine years ago. Over the years, proceeds from this event have helped us support cancer patients in Northwest Arkansas with financial assistance, prescriptions, transportation, cancer screenings, and other services that benefit them as they go through treatment. More information about colorectal cancer can be found on our post from earlier this month.

This year in Arkansas, the American Cancer Society estimates that we will see 1,540 new cases of colon and rectal cancer, and 610 individuals will die from the disease.  

 
So, what can you do to help? Contrary to what the title of this post might lead you to believe, you don't actually have to run to support the event or the services of Hope Cancer Resources and cancer patients in our community. In addition to the 10k and 5k courses (certified by U.S. Track and Field), we have a 5k walk and 1-mile Family Fun Walk open for registration, as well as kids' races that are held on the track at the race starting location, the Old Tiger Stadium spot on the corner of Bella Vista Road and Tiger Boulevard.


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We understand if you'd rather stay in bed on Saturday morning and let someone else do the walking and running. You can still make a donation to the event through the secure donation link on the Hope Cancer Resources website here, or you can purchase a tribute sign in honor or memory of someone special on the race website here. The tribute signs will be placed along the race routes to help raise awareness of the very real impact that colon cancer has on people right here in Northwest Arkansas.

Example of a Battle for Hope Tribute Sign

Teams are always welcome, and will be competing for some great prizes for the Largest Team, Biggest Fundraising Team. Individuals who finish in the top 3 of their age brackets will receive gift certificates for Jose's Southwest Grill as well as a medal featuring this year's race logo. Registration deadline for teams is April 19th, and individual registration fees increase after that date, so get your folks together and get signed up!

In addition to the events, we will also be selling raffle tickets again this year, and you'll have the chance to win some awesome prizes. We already have Walton Arts Center tickets, bicycles, and gift certificates to local restaurants on the list, and more are being added every day. You can purchase tickets with your online registration, or on the day of the race.

For more information on the Battle for Hope, or to register or view pictures from prior years, please visit the event website at www.heathersraceforhope.com. You can also get the latest updates and news on the race Facebook page here! See you on May 4th!

Join us "On the Border"!

We are fortunate (and thankful!) to do our work in an area that is home to so many businesses that give back to the community. We have great partners for our programs and events, and we also receive support in the form of "give back" events that some companies have hosted for us. In 2012 we have worked with Ruby Tuesday, Fish City Grill, Brighton Collectibles, The Independent, Chili's, Harp's Foods, Painting with a Twist, and Ozark Natural Foods. Look for more great opportunities to give back while eating out or doing some shopping in 2013!

Tomorrow night, join us for the latest (and possibly the last - but we're always open to more!) give back event of the year at On the Border Mexican Grill & Cantina in Rogers. Take the flyer below with you and present it to your server when you're paying your bill, and they will donate 10% of your check to Hope Cancer Resources. This includes all drinks, and there is no limit on how many people can be included on the check, but you MUST present the flyer for the donation to happen.

We wouldn't mind at all if you printed off a few flyers and handed them out to neighbors and co-workers, the more the merrier! Thank you for your support throughout the year, and we hope to see you in Rogers tomorrow night!

Recognizing our Sponsors

Our annual gala, the Bill Fleeman Gentlemen of Distinction Fashion Show is just around the corner! If you haven't purchased your tickets or table yet, you should definitely put it on your list of "to-dos" - our tables are selling fast.

We're thrilled to have the design talent of local artist, Matt Miller, assisting us with a painting that will be used for our theme at the event. We will also be auctioning off the one-of-a-kind piece he's creating in our live auction that evening. To keep up with all of our auction items and other information about the event, be sure to follow the Gentlemen of Distinction Facebook page.

As with any non-profit organization putting on a fundraising gala, we can't do it without the support of local businesses and individuals who sponsor our efforts with their cash or in-kind donations. We hope you'll join us in thanking the following businesses for their support of this year's event.

        

   

        

 Bank of Arkansas

Regions Bank

Walker & Associates Realtors, Inc.

Signature Bank of Arkansas

Collier's International

Davis, Clark, Butt, Carithers & Taylor, PLC

Design Works/NWA Events Online

Hull Dermatology & Aesthetics

Head Country BBQ

Employees of J.B. Hunt

MailCo USA, Inc.

Philip & Mary Ann Taldo

Nestle - Dreyer's Ice Cream

Bedford's Camera & Video 

Johanson Group

Media Sponsors:

       

3W Magazine

KNWA

NWA Media

Vertical Magazine

Walking the Runway for Cancer

Last Friday, twelve local gentlemen took to the runway to raise money and awareness for Hope Cancer Resources. Our annual fundraiser, the Bill Fleeman Gentlemen of Distinction, is a combination fashion show, live auction, and award presentation. This year, by all accounts, the evening was a beautiful and moving testament to the work we do for cancer patients and the community of Northwest Arkansas.

The room was breathtaking, with elegant decor created by the team of Goddard Design Group and some awesome volunteers. We especially loved the entryway created with striking urns, birch trees, and dainty yellow orchids.

After our hosts, Jeff and Eloise Davis, said a few words and welcomed attendees, everyone enjoyed a delicious meal and additional comments from Roger Collins, CEO & Chairman of the night's Presenting Sponsor - Harps Food Stores and Price Cutter, and Brian Holt, President & CEO of Hope Cancer Resources.

Baumans Fine Clothiers was our Fashion Sponsor again this year, and models were dressed in the latest looks from HUGO BOSS. Our models all made the most of their turns on the runway - some even inspired cheers and catcalls - and their fans waited along the way waving signs to make them feel like superstars.

After the show, our live auction kicked off with some amazing packages: Spa treatments at Hull Dermatology & Aesthetics, a trip to San Diego for four including a Photo Safari at the zoo, a David Yurman watch from Blakeman's Fine Jewelry, a customized dinner with Chef Antonio Avona, and a week in an Escapes! condominium were only a few of the ten packages that were auctioned. Our auctioneer, Richard Clifton, did a fantastic job making the auction exciting and fun for everyone.

Finally, we watched a video that brought the whole evening home and reminded us what the evening was really all about. Esther was helped by our patient assistance programs - specifically our social workers who offer individual, confidential counseling. She has quite a story to tell.

People like Esther are the reason we do what we do. But not only do we serve patients going through cancer treatment - we also work in the community through our health educators, bringing education and awareness to our community in an effort to reduce the incidence of cancer in Northwest Arkansas. To learn more about how you can support our programs, please visit our website.

To all those who attended, sponsored, donated, and volunteered... thank you for helping us provide compassionate, professional cancer support and education in the Northwest Arkansas region today and tomorrow.

Gentlemen of Distinction is coming!

To say we're getting excited about this year's Bill Fleeman Gentlemen of Distinction gala is a bit of an understatement. We have thirteen great guys lined up to rock the runway in support of our mission in Northwest Arkansas, and for the second year in a row they'll be wearing the latest in men's fashion from HUGO BOSS via Bauman's Northwest.

So let's end the suspense, shall we? Our 2011 Distinguished Models are:

DENNIS BAKER–HARPS

ALAN COLE–Colliers International

JOE DiMAGGIO–Signature Bank

BRANT DOWSE–Superior Auto Group

WILLIAM EARL–Gorilla Salon

KENT EIKENBERRY–NWA Media

KRIS HANBY, MD–Ozark Orthopaedics

HANK HENDERSON–America’s Car-Mart

RANDY KOONTZ–Pinnacle Wealth Management

TJ LEFLER–Sage Partners

ERIC SCHAEFER, MD–Highlands Oncology Group

GREG SPRAGG–Lewis & Clark Outfitters

Save the date (October 7) and start rounding up your friends, this is a party that is too much fun to attend alone. Tickets and tables are on sale now through our website, and we'll be launching an event site in the next week or two. We are working on some fantastic live auction packages and we don't want you to miss out on the announcements...  be sure to go follow us on Twitter and Facebook to keep up with the latest news!

We are very thankful to the event's founding sponsor, Jeannie Fleeman and her family. Without her vision and support this event wouldn't be possible, and we are pleased to be able to honor her late husband, Bill on this special night each year. While he was going through cancer treatment, Bill became aware of patients who were fighting the same disease, but whose financial situations put them at a disadvantage in some cases. His generosity to others during that difficult time was the seed from which this event grew. All proceeds from the evening's donations and auctions are used to support our cancer patient assistance and community education programs. Every dime stays here in Northwest Arkansas to meet the needs of our community.

Couple of Things

Part of our planning for the year involves finding new ways to raise awareness and donations. We love receiving financial gifts from new and repeat donors, as every non-profit organization does, but the focus we place on our mission and vision means that making people aware of our organziation and the services we provide is just as important. Indeed, it is more so.

We are doing a few things this summer to try to accomplish both of these goals...

Earlier this month we placed clear acrylic boxes in Eureka Pizza locations around Northwest Arkansas and in Fort Smith. The boxes don't feature a lot of information specifically describing our services due to space restrictions, but our website and social media links are listed. We hope to see an upswing in the visits to our site over the next few months as a result. The more people who visit our site, the more people we are potentially helping with our programs or information on cancer prevention. Of course, receiving some small donations would be wonderful too.

Throughout the month of July we will be hosted by Cafe Delta Soul as they partner with us for a promotion. Every Tuesday night they will donate 10% of their dinner sales and allow us to share a little information with their patrons. If you haven't visited Cafe Delta Soul yet, this is the perfect opportunity! They serve down-home-delicious Southern cooking like you wish your momma used to make. Catfish, ribs, creole specialties... all washed down with drinks in mason jars and served by some of the friendliest staff in town. Come see us and bring your friends!

Finally, we want to send out a big THANK YOU to J.B. Hunt Transportation for the "Jeans Day" fundraiser they organized for us! One of the ways we're trying to get our name and list of services out there is to partner with companies to do fundraisers or educational programs with their employees. We have two certified health educators on our staff who can bring information on a wide range of topics relating to cancer prevention and visit with
staff to let them know what they can do to be healthy and informed. In addition, we have information available about screening programs we hold throughout the year, local support groups and our patient assistance programs. We also have a Spanish interpreter on staff to assist with communication with Spanish-speaking employees. If your company would be interested in finding out more about these educational programs please contact Sandy Prince, MS, CHES, our V.P. of Cancer Education and Prevention or Casey Shelor, MS, CHES, our Cancer Education Coordinator.

Thank you, Northwest Arkansas, for everything you are doing to support us. We hope to see you soon!!

And now, a word from our sponsors...

We in Northwest Arkansas are so fortunate to be living in an area that not only supports philanthropy, but also encourages it. Of course, a community that embraces and celebrates non-profit organizations and fundraising events makes for a LOT of weekends that feature a LOT of fundraising events! And that means, naturally, that our local businesses and community leaders are inundated with requests for donations and sponsorship support.

Which leads us to the purpose of this post - to say  

THANK YOU!!!

to the local businesses and people who have chosen to join us to support our annual event, the Bill Fleeman Gentlemen of Distinction Fashion Show and Award Dinner coming up this Friday night.

Their support of our programs means we can reach a greater number of cancer patients and community members in Northwest Arkansas with financial, emotional, logistical, and educational programs... we truly can't do what we do without them.

Auction Action for Everyone!

We're getting excited about the upcoming 7th Annual Bill Fleeman Gentlemen of Distinction Event! It's scheduled for October 1st at the John Q. Hammons Convention Center in Rogers. Last week we announced the 13 great local guys we have lined up to model for us.

Just in case the idea of seeing local guys strutting their stuff in some fantastic clothing from this fall's HUGO BOSS fashion lines isn't enough to make you buy a ticket - get a load of the fantastic list of auction items we have on the block:

Six nights at Palazzo Condominiums
Palazzo is one of the newest ocean-front resorts in Panama City, Florida. You'll enjoy the luxury of a 3 bedroom condo on the 13th floor with a full gulf view! Fantastic! It's packed with too many amenities to name, but suffice to say you'll have the option of a dip in the pool, a stroll on the beach or a workout in the fitness center located in the building.
Donated by Neal and Angela Hefner.

Dinner with Dr. and Mrs. Malcolm Hayward
This experience has consistently been one of our most popular auction items, so we are offering it to the masses yet again. Malcolm and Ellen are known for both their culinary and entertaining skills, and the evening will surely be one-of-a-kind. Eight lucky folks will enjoy a meal to remember!

Golf with John Pelphrey
It's not every day you get the chance to play a round of golf with the head basketball coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks, but that day has come! All you have to do is show up with your clubs and a friend - and have a great time! (Course TBD)

Trout Fishing on the White River
Every serious trout angler knows about the White River. This package includes two days of trout fishing with a professional guide and accommodations at Cedarwood Lodge. The Lodge is located in an area of the river away from the busiest traffic areas and close to some of the best fishing holes on the river. Prepare to relax.

HUGO BOSS Trip to NYC
This one-of-a-kind trip to New York City includes round-trip flight for one, hotel accommodations for two nights, a trip to the HUGO BOSS showrooms with Donny Hubbard of Bauman's and Andrew Weisbrot of HUGO BOSS and dinner one night of your stay. A clothing package valued at $2,000 is also included! Donated by HUGO BOSS, coordinated by Donny Hubbard of Bauman's Fine Clothiers.

Treatments for Two at Hull Dermatology
Are you tired of dates with your special someone that leave your fingers greasy with popcorn butter and feeling like you will never get those two hours back again? Here's a deal that will have you looking and feeling better than any dinner and a movie ever could! Share a Day of Dermatology with your significant other (or your BFF) in the care of Hull Dermatology. Package includes microdermabrasion for 2, botox for 2, laser hair removal treatment (axillae) for 2, Clarisonic Sonic Skin Cleansing System for 2, Elta MD facial sunscreen for 2 and an awesome selection of CeraVe cleansers and lotions.

Local Gentlemen + HUGO BOSS = Great Event!

For the last seven years we have invited local gentlemen to support us by participating in a fashion show for a cause. The 7th Annual Bill Fleeman Gentlemen of Distinction Fashion Show and Award Dinner is scheduled for October 1st , and promises to be another great evening of fashion, live and silent auctions, and an award for a very deserving gentleman who has made a difference in cancer care and support in Northwest Arkansas.

This year, our fashion show will once again be styled byDonny Hubbard of Bauman's Fine Clothiers. (Check out the fantastic article about Donny in the September issue of Citiscapes Magaine!)  We are on the edge of seats to see our guys rocking the runway wearing HUGO BOSS fashions exclusively presented at our event. Bauman's will also have a HUGO BOSS boutique set up at the event, and 10% of sales from that evening will be donated to Hope Cancer Resources. You won't find this kind of access to HUGO BOSS merchandise anywhere else in Northwest Arkansas!

Once again, we have a great list of men modeling for us - perhaps you know a few of them?

Steve Collins - Mars USA

David Erstine - Sage Partners

David Ganoung - Harps Foods

Charles George - George's, Inc.

Jeff Maland - Signature Bank

Blake Hanby - WACO Title

Horace Hardwick - retired from General Electric

Neal Hefner - Neal Hefner Construction

Jay Howard - IO Metro

Asa Hutchinson III - Asa Hutchinson Law Group

Jim Phillips - Springdale Liquor Assoc.

Dr. Rick Roblee - Roblee Orthodontics

Matt Turner - KNWA

Tickets and tables are available online, or you can call us for more information. 479.361.5847. We'll see you on the runway!

Making a Difference

On the eve of a little fundraiser we're a part of tomorrow, we thought you'd appreciate seeing exactly where we are using the donations we receive.

We have a number of programs that fall under our cancer Patient Assistance umbrella and others that are geared toward the Outreach and Education for the entire community of Northwest Arkansas. In the first six months of this year, we have been doing great things to support the needs of cancer patients and others in our community... take a look...

Since January: 


We have provided $99,385 in prescription and emergency assistance to 373 patients.

We have given 169 patients over $16,000 in gasoline cards to help them with transportation for themselves and their caregivers.

The amount of support we have been able to acquire for patients from pharmaceutical companies with prescription assistance programs totals $86,513.

Psychosocial assistance has been provided to individuals by our licensed social workers at a value of just over $71,000.

301 hours of Spanish interpretation have been provided by our staff to those requesting this service.

89 patients have been transported 64,390 miles to and from their appointments by our drivers.

Paid for cancer screenings through our Save-a-Live program for people who were either uninsured or under-insured - for a total of $55,679.

Provided over 2,400 people with cancer education through sessions facilitated by Hope Cancer Resources staff.

Registered 944 new cases in the Northwest Arkansas Cancer Registry.

The total value of all of the services we have provided to Northwest Arkansas for the first half of 2010 is 

$369,569.02.

We hope you'll join us tomorrow at Fish City Grill in Rogers to support all this amazing work by eating a meal, and maybe bringing a friend or five along. It's First Tuesday at FCG, and they will be donating 15% of the day's sales to us. It's an easy way to make a big difference in the daily lives of people living with, battling, preventing and surviving cancer in our community. 

See you there!

Do you like a CHALLENGE!???

In Northwest Arkansas we are fortunate to have an amazing number of non-profits doing great things for our communities. We also have a number of generous foundations and individuals who make it their goal to support these agencies in the work they do. One of our favorites is the Cancer Challenge.

The mission of the Cancer Challenge is to raise funds to support programs and services designed around the early detection, prevention, diagnosis, research and treatment of cancer. It is a non-profit organization that has been caring for the community of Northwest Arkansas for over sixteen years. Hope Cancer Resources receives grant funds from the Cancer Challenge to support our cancer patient assistance and education programs. 

 The Cancer Challenge is an annual event - actually a series of events - running from June 24 - 26, 2010. Just about any sporting or athletic activity you could be interested is included in this year's calendar of events, but if you'd prefer to help out without having to break a sweat, consider volunteering instead.

You'll see several of us from Hope Cancer Resources at the events this year, serving lunch and breakfast, and volunteering at the events... be sure to say hello!!

2010 Heather Ridley Fleeman Battle for Hope

May 1st dawned about an hour after the first volunteers and staff arrived at Old Tiger Stadium, and when it started getting lighter in the East we were happy to see it was overcast, but there was no impending rain. In 2009 the Battle for Hope was held in a fairly heavy constant downpour of rain. In 2008, the morning temperatures were in 30s. Lucky for us, runners seem to enjoy adverse weather conditions - it's just tough on the volunteers and staff.

We are working on getting all the photos up on our Flickr account, but here are a few to give you an idea of what a great day it was. Special thanks goes out to all of our volunteers, our staff, and the sponsors who made this event so awesome. We raised over $40,000.00
this year that will go directly to assisting and educating cancer patients and the community of Northwest Arkansas. Thank you!!