Think Pink for INDY: How Two Volunteers Built a Breast Cancer Fundraiser in St. Cloud
Notas del episodio
Takeaways
- Think Pink for INDY is a free community breast cancer fundraiser on Thursday, October 15 at Legends Bar & Grill in St. Cloud, Minnesota. Every dollar raised goes to local breast cancer patients through INDY Foundation.
- Troy Lenarz and Brandon Voigt started with $1,800 raised in their first year and are on track to pass $60,000 in total. Their takeaway for anyone who wants to start something in their own town: if you can do something, you should do something.
- Showing up does not have to be a huge commitment. Brandon puts the real effort at around 10 hours, and Troy says it is probably more, and that time has already turned into support for local families, school fundraisers, and a full-circle night at the ballpark.
Summary of the episode
In this episode of Connecting Through Cancer, Kayla Keenan sits down with Troy Lenarz of Alliance Imaging and Regional Diagnostic Radiology and Brandon Voigt, Market President and Commercial Lender at Falcon National Bank. Together they lead Think Pink for INDY, a breast cancer fundraiser that supports local patients in Central Minnesota. Troy shares that he lost his Aunt Ellie to breast cancer and named his older daughter after her. Brandon explains why he joined: he has a wife, a daughter, and family, and he believes that if you can do something, you should do something.
The two tell the story of how a chamber of commerce meeting started it all, how their first events supported a national breast cancer campaign before they brought the work home to INDY Foundation, and why they asked that the money go specifically to breast cancer patients. Kayla explains why that focus matters: close to half of INDY Foundation's nominations come from people with breast cancer, and while they are in treatment they still have to work, pay bills, and care for their families. A typical INDY check is $2,000, so a strong year at Think Pink supports around ten local patients.
The conversation also covers the Pink in the Park night with the St. Cloud Rox, where last year's honorees were all breast cancer patients supported by Think Pink for INDY, and the Parade of Hope that followed. Troy and Brandon share what stays with them from working alongside honorees, how they protect their volunteer committee from burnout, and how local schools are now hosting their own events, including a Dig Pink volleyball night that raised $9,800. They close with everything you need to attend: the date, the location, the raffles, the live music, and how to help even if you only stop by for a drink.
INDY is short for "I'm Not Done Yet," a phrase often said by the late Kyle Strand during his courageous battle with colon cancer. Kyle's four-year journey was both extremely challenging and profoundly beautiful. Though he lost his battle in July 2017, his legacy lives on through his two dying wishes: to establish the INDY Foundation and to inspire others to live every day to its fullest. In August 2017, the INDY Foundation was born, continuing Kyle's mission to support and uplift cancer warriors everywhere. Find more information here: www.indy-foundation.org
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ImNotDoneYetMN
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/indyfoundation/
Join our INDY Tribe - Inner Circle FB Group. A group for those affected by cancer.