2018 was the first year we kicked off our local charity fundraising program. For a quick refresher, this program allows Sassafras employees to get involved locally and support a charity of their choice. Last year we told you about how Sara Rhodes and Sarah MacNamara supported causes in their hometowns. Catch up on those stories if you have a second.
The last fundraising event of 2018 that we’re going to share today took place in Jacksonville, FL where two members of our creative team – Shannon Redding and Trevor Barley – attended an event aimed at providing financial support to families, friends, and fighters in their battle with cancer. That’s always something we can get behind! The charity is called Chemo Noir and Shannon gives us the lowdown on the foundation, their mission, and why she was so drawn to the organization.
Tell us a little bit about Chemo Noir
Chemo Noir is a local, Jacksonville, FL based charity that helps ease the financial burden of families who are going through cancer treatment.
Why did you choose to spend your charity dollars on Chemo Noir?
I was drawn to this charity for a number of reasons. First, it’s a grassroots charity locally ran by a young female around my age who was diagnosed with cancer. She was an athlete, in great shape and one morning she just collapsed in her bathroom. That’s when she found out she had cancer. She had chemo and every Wednesday and afterward would get together with her girlfriends for a glass of wine. They called this their Chemo Noir time!
A year out of remission she started this foundation, which offers financial assistance to a person or family that is receiving cancer treatment. The money can go toward any financial need including treatment, mortgage, food, etc.
Tell us about the event you attended.
The event we attended was their big, end of the year gala. It is their biggest fundraising event of the year and has live music, food, silent auctions, etc.
I have been to several events before this one, and all of their events are centered around wine. For example, there are yoga and running fundraisers that offer wine at the beginning, middle or end! Every Friday at my yoga studio is charity day, and this quarter the money collected is going back to Chemo Noir.
Do you plan on attending more of their events in the future?
When I learned about the charity I really related to her story, it hit close to home. I definitely plan on supporting Chemo Noir in the future.
To learn more about Chemo Noir, visit their website.