News

Some Good News (Yes, in 2020!) 

Where do you begin with a year like 2020! Much has been said of the damage and pain brought on by the coronavirus. In spite of this, good things have continued to occur. The Common Thread for the Cure Foundation has given $109,000 in Helping Hand Grants to twenty-two breast cancer survivors across the country. These women are from the western states of California, Colorado, and Washington; the middle American states of Indiana, Minnesota, and Ohio; and the eastern states of Florida, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. Each of these women dealt with having surgery and receiving treatment in a time when many of us were choosing to stay home to remain safe. They represent the strength and perseverance of survivors. 

The Common Thread for the Cure Foundation continues to be grateful to our generous supporters for the wonderful job they do raising awareness of the foundation across the country. These unusual times have focused our attention on another group of ambassadors for the foundation – survivors who have received grants in the past. The majority of the women who received grants in 2020 were made aware of the foundation because these past grant recipients chose to pay it forward to others who were traveling the journey of breast cancer. In so doing they made it possible for several young survivors to freeze eggs and embryos in hopes that they could have families in the future. Another young survivor used her grant to assist her family in securing accommodations so they could provide care and support while she received treatment. And another was able to travel to a facility where she could receive the integrative care and treatment needed for her Stage 4 diagnosis. 

This year also illuminated a way the industry has paid it forward. Several hospitality-focused publications have been generously placing ads focused on the Helping Hand Grants. A young survivor who has been fighting the disease for several years saw the ad and was able to secure a grant to relieve a portion of her financial burden. As a designer she was struggling with the economic implications brought on by the COVID-driven shut down and her need to receive and pay for treatment. Paying it forward is part of who we are as an industry and we are grateful to everyone who has done so in all the ways they have. 

Thank you for showing the Good Side of 2020! We will move forward with strength and resilience because that is who we are as an industry. Things change but as long as we continue to stand together in paying it forward there will be a bright future. We wish you a healthy, prosperous and joy-filled 2021!