Seymour Pink Endowment Fund
Est. 2012 as a revocable organization fund by a transfer of assets.
Breast Cancer. Sadly, those two words have become a part of our daily existence. It is hard to find anyone who has not been touched by the disease, be it wife, mother, sister, grandmother, aunt or friend. Husbands, fathers, sons, brothers, grandfathers, and uncles are also susceptible. When spoken, the very words strike fear in the hearts of anyone who is diagnosed, and those who hold them dear.
The fearless founders of Seymour Pink, a nonprofit cancer prevention/awareness/assistance organization, have taken this disease head-on, turning grief and reaction into positive, forward-thinking action. In less than three years, a dynamic Board of Directors comprising 17 women and men has helped raise more than $250,000 to bring breast cancer awareness to the forefront in their hometown and the Valley.
And they've only just begun.
Armed with the knowledge that it takes an ongoing commitment of time and energy to join the fight against cancer, they have now created the Seymour Pink Endowment Fund at VCF as their vehicle for community awareness and support.
Seymour Pink Founder Mary Deming shared her thoughts about her own experience with the disease. "My mother died of breast cancer just as I turned 21. I grieved, but didn't focus on the disease for quite some time. But years later, in 1998, I started participating in American Cancer Society and Susan G. Komen events, including one at which a woman had raised $20,000 on her own. I thought to myself: 'I want to do that, I want to beat that number.' So I called some close friends, and they helped me raise an initial $34,000. We decided that we wanted to continue doing this, and could reach out to even more people we knew - and so began Seymour Pink."
When former VCF President Jamie Cohen made an initial visit with the group, he knew at once how committed they were to their cause. "This active and interested group asked great questions about how an Endowment at VCF would work. I could see that they had decided to move forward on creating the Fund before I even finished my presentation. They had done their homework, and knew what they wanted to accomplish. VCF was a natural fit for them."
Mary Deming said, "We knew we could keep giving away all we were raising to other groups supporting the fight against cancer. But we wanted to do even more to make a direct impact on the fight. We realized that having a Fund, through which we could invest and grow part of the money, would help us bring more awareness, and really kick the work we had been doing up a notch. For example, we can now consider giving scholarships to students who are pursuing a career in the fight against cancer. Creating this Endowment made perfect sense for us."
Through their work, Seymour Pink has also created a streamlined process to assist women who are struggling financially from their own cancer. "We want them to fight their disease, and we will fight their bills by dealing directly with their creditors," said Mary. "Most importantly, the Valley community has heard and is responding to the call. Fighting cancer is something we can all do - together. This Endowment will help us move another step closer to reaching our goal. Everyone deserves a lifetime with those that they love."
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