Media release: On a picture perfect Sunday, hundreds of people gathered at Heritage Park at the confluence of Rome's rivers for the Cast Off Against Cancer celebration and health walk hosted by Cancer Navigators. The event was the culmination of weeks of fundraising by 20 crews who stepped up to support the nonprofit that helps cancer patients on their journey.
Though the official tally is not complete, Executive Director Charlotte Atkins expects the fundraising total to top $65,000.
"We want to thank all of the sponsors and crews for all of the hard work and creativity they put into the campaign this year. The funds raised from this benefit are the foundation of our financial year and ensure that hundreds of patients get navigation and resource assistance from Cancer Navigators. As a nonprofit that is supported solely by donations, we simply could not carry out our mission without this event and the enthusiastic support of the crews that participate."
The teams were also competing for awards. In the fundraising category, Floyd Medical Center's Laboratory team, called the Paddle Posse, was the top fundraiser by collecting more than $10,000. The Changemakers of Heritage First Bank were first runners-up and Warren's Warriors from the Harbin Clinic Tony E. Warren MD Cancer Center were the second runners-up.
Each crew was given a wooden oar to decorate, symbolic of the journey cancer patients are on and the navigation assistance they get from nurses and social workers at Cancer Navigators. Top honors for Best Paddle went to Redmond Regional Medical Center for a quartet of paddles touting Cancer Navigators' mission. First runners-up were Budlong's Bosom Buddies from Dr. Brenda Budlong's Floyd Primary Care practice. Second runners-up were Heritage First's Changemakers.
In the Most Spirit category, Toles, Temple & Wright took top honors while the Paddle Posse was first runner-up and Mary Kate Vick Fuller's First Mates were second runners-up.
In addition to a health walk along Kingfisher Trail, the celebration included cancer survivors Dan Montgomery and Mary Kate Vick Fuller sharing the impact that Cancer Navigators has had on their journey and music by singer/songwriter Scott Thompson, who wrote a special song for the event called "I've Got Love." The finale had participants dropping hundreds of white daisies from the Robert Redden footbridge into the confluence of the rivers while Tyler Lembke, who works in radiation oncology at Harbin, played "Amazing Grace" on the bagpipes.
"April 10 marks the fifth anniversary of Cancer Navigators opening its doors to the community. And we felt that it would be perfect to celebrate that milestone, the hard work of the Cast Off crews as well as the exceptional cancer care and support in our community on the riverfront at Heritage Park," said Atkins. "The confluence of Rome's three rivers is the perfect symbolism. For cancer is where our three major healthcare providers and others come together in partnership. Cancer is where businesses, community groups and individuals come together to support our mission. Cancer Navigators is the confluence where survivors, healthcare providers and our community partners come together. It was a truly heartwarming celebration in so many ways and we are so very grateful for the support we receive."
"Because no one should have to journey alone."
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