Monday, March 20, 2000
Hospice, FACT join for day of fashion
By Malinda Ruble
Staff Writer
Community Hospice Care and Financial Assistance for Cancer Treatment have joined together to offer a chance to view the latest spring fashions, enjoy a catered lunch and help support the two agencies.
The two will host a style show, beginning at 11 a.m. April 8 at the Tiffin YMCA.
"FACT approached us to see if we were interested in doing a fundraiser together to earn money and to increase community awareness of Hospice and FACT,'' said Becky Shank, executive director of Community Hospice Care. "We thought by putting their volunteers and our volunteers and our staff together, we'd have a better fundraiser."
The style show and luncheon is designed to be a smaller fundraiser for the two agencies.
"It's not a large fundraiser, but I think it will be something different for our community. And it's inexpensive to attend because it includes a lunch and the proceeds are for the non-profit agencies,'' Shank said.
Stage, Threads and J.C. Penney will be providing the clothing to be modeled. The models, which also will include men, are staff and volunteers from the two agencies.
"We chose those three stores because they have a variety of clothes and prices. There will be a discount on the clothing if they purchase it that day or if they take the ticket stub to the store,'' Shank said.
The clothing displayed will include a variety of styles from casual to more formal for the spring and summer. About 30 outfits will be showcased.
Both agencies also will provide a literature table about the services they offer.
"We're both non-profit and all of the money stays in the county and we both have the same interest. They (FACT) care for the finances of cancer patients and we see and treat a lot of the same family and patients,'' Shank said.
Hortense Brooks, treasurer of FACT, said FACT is comprised of volunteers so all of the money donated to FACT goes back to the local patients to assist with expenses.
"We started in 1991. We were a small group of people who were with the Seneca County Cancer Services and before that we were with the American Cancer Society. We felt there was a need to work for the people here,'' Brooks said.
FACT, which provides money to cancer patients for medication and transportation, assists an average of 15 patients a month.
The agencies are hoping to generate about $1,000 from the event.
The cost of tickets, which includes the lunch, is $8 a person.
Only 150 tickets will be sold for the event and none will be sold after April 1.
Tickets are available by stopping by Glory Bee or Community Hospice Care or by calling Community Hospice Care at 447-4040 or (800) 834-8100 or Melody Shugarman at 448-7153.
"We'll even hand deliver them if they call or they can send a check to Hospice, making the check payable to Hospice, and we'll mail them the tickets or hold them at the door,'' Shank said.