Surviving Hearts to hold annual fundraiser April 23

Published by admin on Thu, 04/14/2022 - 2:23pm
Surviving Hearts, a local cancer support group, is holding its seventh annual fundraiser at the Sunnyside Farm and Events venue, located at 1526 Sunnyside Road, on April 23, 2022.
 The event begins at 4 p.m. with a social hour followed by dinner at 5 p.m. There will be silent and live auctions, and live music by The James Gang.
 “We are having a barbecue tri-tip dinner buffet, which is donated by Agri Beef,” said Surviving Hearts founder Shellie Colvard. We generally have about 150 or more guests who come from all over the Treasure Valley, including Boise, Caldwell, and Nampa. We usually have doctors come from Weiser Memorial Hospital and St. Luke’s Hospital.”
 Tickets are $35 for individuals and $70 for couples. Those planning to attend can use their credit/debit cards to purchase tickets early by calling (208) 781-1778. Prices will be $10 more at the door.
Surviving Hearts provides support to cancer patients in Washington, Payette, Adams, Baker, and Malheur counties.
 Colvard founded the organization nine years ago following her own battle with breast cancer. 
 “We basically provide financial assistance to cancer patients,” she said. “We have people in Baker County who have to come all the way to St. Luke’s in Fruitland for treatment, so we give out a lot of gas cards, mostly for Sinclair and Maverik. We also provide funds for things like utility bills and food. We usually give them gift cards for WinCo or Walmart.”
 Colvard said the organization has a list of about 26 people it serves and has already provided approximately $2,000 in gas cards to individuals.
 Diagnosed in 2008, she knows how financial needs can complicate already trying circumstances.
 “I founded this to help other people going through cancer because we had a lot of people that helped us,” said Colvard, citing her own experience with cancer. “It was in 2008; we were self-employed, and everything went bad, and we had people help us out. I don’t know what we would have done without it at the time. 
 “We travelled a lot. In one year, I had 60 appointments between Boise and Fruitland, and gas was four bucks a gallon at the time, plus we were driving a Suburban with a 454 (c.u. engine). It was crazy and when you do radiation treatment, and I did chemo and had surgery, you go at least six weeks every day. It’s devastating for someone who’s just making it.”
 Colvard said the annual fundraiser was initially started to raise money for the St. Luke’s Respite House in Fruitland.
 The facility provides cancer patients with an affordable place to stay when they are too ill or tired from chemotherapy or radiation and can’t travel the long distance back home following treatment.
 “The Respite House is why we started this dinner; we raised money for that,” Colvard said. “We also received funds through private donors to help build it. They have our name on one of the doors and a plaque inside St. Luke’s Hospital with our Surviving Hearts name on it because we are one of the top-tier donors.”
 Visit the Surviving Hearts Facebook page for more information or call (208) 781-1778.
 

 

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18 E. Idaho St.
Weiser, ID 83672
PH: (208) 549-1717
FAX: (208) 549-1718
 

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