Jen's Friends to celebrate 1 millionth dollar for recipients at free Cranmore concert Aug. 18
Jen's Friends, the local support organization for clients battling cancer, is throwing a million dollar party at Cranmore Aug. 18, and board members are inviting the community to join them in the celebration.
By Tom Eastman
The Conway Daily Sun
Friday, Aug. 12, 2011
CONWAY — Jen's Friends, the local support organization for clients battling cancer, is throwing a million dollar party at Cranmore Aug. 18, and board members are inviting the community to join them in the celebration.
“Our treasurer, Nancy Davis, looked up some historical information this past April, and asked if we realized that we would be spending our millionth dollar on clients come August. So,” said Kathy Sweeney, president of Jen's Friends, in a recent interview at her North Conway office with Jen's Friends vice president Wendy Holmes, “rather than have a fund-raiser, we felt it would be good to invite the community and thank them for their support over the past 13 years for local cancer families. We want to thank the community for their support so we are inviting everyone to come to Cranmore Mountain Resort for a night of music and thanks.”
Scheduled to perform at the bash are Blind Fools, Dennis and Davey, the Fryeburg Academy Rock Band, Thom Perkins and Kathy Bennett, Smokin' Loafers, and Bob Rutherford and Susan Goyette.
Zip's Pub will be open for food and drink purchases, and Cranmore's new Adventure Park will be open until 6 p.m.
The festivities will be open from 4 to 10 p.m.
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BUSY MONTH
The celebration will kick off a busy month for the non-profit organization.
The Mount Washington Valley Old Car Club will present a car show and benefit lunch at the Fryeburg Fire Station from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 27.
On Aug. 28, through a grant from the Connie Davis Watson Foundation, the Mount Washington Valley Theatre Company will present a Jen's Friends benefit performance of “A Chorus Line” at the Eastern Slope Playhouse at the reduced price of $20 per head.
“We will reserve 25 tickets for clients, and the remainder will be sold at the reduced rate, with the proceeds benefiting Jen's Friends,” said Sweeney, noting that Mount Washington Valley Theater Company president Linda Pinkham has been a strong supporter of the organization. “The grant pays for the theater that night so we get the tickets for free,” added Sweeney.
It all builds up to the fourth event of the month, and that's the biggie: On Sept. 17 at Cranmore, the 14th annual Jen's Friends Climb Against Cancer will be held.
The event that started the organization in 1998, it was held that year with the blessing of Jen Hill, who was battling brain cancer.
She agreed to her brother's friends' naming the organization and the climb after her, provided that it helped others battling cancer.
Hence, the event and organization that bears her name and continues to do so much good, 13 years after her untimely death at age 26.
Registration for this year's climb starts at 8:30 a.m., followed by the climb at 10 a.m.
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'YOU'VE GOT A FRIEND IN ME'
This year's climb theme is, 'You Got a Friend in Me,' after the Randy Newman song from Shrek, according to Sweeney.
She said the organization agreed to that theme after friends of a man who lost his battle with cancer submitted a moving memorial DVD tribute with that theme song to the board.
“His name was Richard True, and he was in his mid-60s. He was battling the same kind of cancer as Jennifer Hill. He had connections to the valley,” said Sweeney. “He contacted Jen's parents, Arthur and Leona Hill, and once he learned of our climb, he came all the way from Pennsylvania, determined to attempt it. He only made it two-thirds of the way up, and he lost his battle, but his friends submitted the beautiful DVD to us in his memory,” said Sweeney.
In addition to raising funds as pledges, friends and family members may pay to have memorial markers erected along the trail, with new markers costing $50, and renewals costing $25.
To purchase memorial markers, contact Sweeney at 356-7036 or go to the website, www.jensfriends.org.
“We are still looking for and will always take more corporate sponsors,” said Sweeney.
Musical entertainment and lunch will once again be provided as part of the day's activities.
Pledge forms will be soon posted on line and will be available at local post offices, according to Holmes.
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FLOCKING TO RETURN
In February, Jen's Friends has voted to continue the “Pink Flamingos Flocking Campaign” that was launched last summer by Donna Woodward of Business Enhancements and friends when this reporter was battling cancer.
“We think it will be a good time to do the flocking campaign, because it will be easier to put the flamingos up, putting them in people's yards in the snow and in front of businesses,” said Holmes.
Under the campaign, people pay to have their friends “flocked,” and then they pay to have them removed and placed on someone else's property.
It all adds up to fulfilling Jen's Friends' overall theme: “In the fight against cancer, you can never have too many friends.”
For more information, call 356-5083 or visit www.jensfriends.org.
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'RAISED HERE, STAYS HERE'
“Raised here, stays here!” underscores Jen's Friends' mission.
Amazingly, 100 percent of local funds raised go to the non-profit organization's support of helping local patients and their families cope with the challenges of cancer.
It used to be that only 92 percent went directly toward the expenses of patients — but then that was fixed through the support of a local benefactor, Fran Savard.
According to board president Kathy Sweeny and vice president Wendy Holmes, Savard last year asked what it would take to make the figure of funds going directly to patients 100 percent. When told that it would require a donation of $8,500 to $11,000 per year to pay for the all volunteer organization's office expenses, Savard replied, “Consider it done.”
“There's no overhead, thanks to Francis Savard,” said Holmes. “He reimburses us for the insurance we need, our phone, our postage, our rent for office space at Settlers' Green.”
“Ninety to 95 percent of our fund-raising is local. We do get some outside help, and many memorial donations come from outside of the region, but the core is local,” said Sweeney.
Sweeney says the demand for Jen's Friends' services in helping families continues to rise.
“We raised $1 million in our first 13 years — and I expect within five years we will be spending our 2 millionth. Our client load has almost tripled in the eight years that I have been on the board, and our expenses have almost tripled during the same time,” said Sweeney.
The organization is currently serving 58 patients in Mount Washington Valley, and has served 253 since its inception in 1998. The organization serves clients who reside in the areas served by the SAU 9 and 13 in New Hampshire as well as MSAD 72 in western Maine. Funds are not paid for medical expenses, but for all other costs: utility bills, gas bills, food costs, and other living expenses, with a committee of board members reviewing all applications. Asked to explain why the client load has risen so much, Sweeney said she does not know for sure, but offered a guess. “I would suspect there are more incidences of cancer and the economy is playing an effect where more people don't have the wherewithal to fight cancer,” said Sweeney. * * * WOODBURY GRANT In addition to its fund-raising, the organization applied for and received a $13,000 grant from the Woodbury Foundation, the local benevolent non-profit organization founded by the estate of the late Wendell and Evelyn Woodbury. “Evelyn's nephew, Mark Butterfield, told us that Jen's Friends was a favorite organization of her's,” said Sweeney. She and Holmes think that part of the reason for the support the organization receives is due to the commitment of its volunteers. “We have 15 really dedicated board members who serve Jen's Friends — all volunteers. It's like having another part-time job, they all would say,” said Sweeney. Board members in addition to Sweeney and Wendy Holmes include: treasurer Nancy Davis, secretary Hallie Humphrey, incoming president Corinne Reidy, disbursement chair RuthAnn Fabrizio, Karen Stancik, Roxanne Major, Marta Ramsey, Scot Lajoie, Mike Lynch, and Jill MacMillan, and new members Charlie Hanlon, Jim MacMillan and Ron Force. Arthur Hill, father of Jennifer Hill, after whom the organization is named, retains full voting rights and serves as in an advisory capacity. For further information, call 356-5083 or visit www.jensfriends.org.
