ORCHID, FL - Having fun and doing good for others doesn’t have to be mutually exclusive. Just ask the women of Orchid Island Golf & Beach Club. This small group of women celebrated their fifth annual “Connecting for Cancer Girls’ Night Out” where they combine fun and fundraising. The event, which includes an amazing auction and raffle, raises money to help those struggling with cancer. One hundred percent of the funds are donated to the “Pay-It-Forward Fund” which is part of the Excellence in Cancer Care Program of IRMC. This special donor generated fund is a wonderful source of hope and comfort to those in need of care. It provides financial assistance to carefully screened patients who are unable to afford needed cancer treatment, diagnostic services and preventative care. Over the last five years, these incredible women of Orchid Island have raised over $110,000. The talents and resources are so abundant within the Orchid Community and their passion for improving lives shines through vibrantly in everything they set out to do. “Many of us have had our lives affected by cancer,” shared Nancy Cruce, Event Committee Chair. “The Orchid Island women have taken action. We recognize the ongoing battle of cancer patients and decided to come together to help patients deal with this awful disease that seems to affect so many.”
This year’s remarkable event was held Monday, March 5 at the beautiful estate of the late Ruth Wackenhut on the Indian River Lagoon. “Having the event in this spectacular home was just wonderful, shared Nancy. “Everyone who walked through the door commented how magical it was.” Five cancer colors, pink (breast), teal (ovarian), light blue (prostate), white (lung) and lavender (all cancers), were the color-du-jour for the over 150 attendees. This year’s event has been the largest in attendance. Each year it seems to get bigger and proceeds keep growing. Additionally, this year’s third Annual Boy’s Night Out at Orchid Island’s Beach Club was organized by Orchid Island Member Phil Gulley. The guys meet up and indulge in food your wife won’t let you eat, enjoy great conversation, an auction, raffle and a movie. Incredibly, this year they raised over $35,000 helping with the overall funds raised.
Pictured left to right: 2018 Committee; Deedee Cunningham, Ronnie Weyrauch, Annette Lovell, Marilyn Kinsella, Joanne Dorey, Carole Finck, Pat Scott, Nancy Cruce, mermaid, Kay Falise, Bonnie Davis, Gerry Collins, Carrol Spurgeon, Colette Kennedy, Dorsey Seed and Lynda Stinson
The Connecting for Cancer concept was created by Committee Chairs Gerry Collins and Nancy Cruce. Other committee members are Polly Behrens, Muci Clemens, Deedee Cunningham, Bonnie Davis, Joanne Dorey, Kathy Dunlop, Kay Falise, Carole Finck, Colette Kennedy, Charlotte Klein, Marilyn Kinsella, Annette Lovell, Kathleen O’Brien, Janet Ramer, Pat Scott, Dorsey Seed, Carrol Spurgeon, Lynda Stinson, Diane VanVliet and Ronnie Weyrauch. “We are so honored Orchid has held this event for us. They touch so many patient lives,” said Bev Sanders, Director of Gift Planning at the IRMC Foundation. “It’s truly a gift that you cannot put a price tag on.”
Connecting for Cancer is a grass roots, "home grown" group of women Members from Orchid Island Golf & Beach Club raising money for cancer patients and their families to help them with financial assistance. The group is not connected with any national or state organization and is not a 501(c)3 tax organization. For more information, contact Nancy Cruce at nancylcruce@comcast.net or Gerry Collins at jomamager@aol.com