This Sunday, June 14 at 10:00 a.m. a host of good souls will rally for the Heart and Sole Stroll, the annual signature fundraising event of The Red Devils, a nonprofit organization committed to improving the quality of life for Maryland breast cancer patients and their families. Centennial Lake, in Columbia, MD, is the official stroll site, selected in part because of its easy accessibility off I-95 and park amenities strollers from around the state of Maryland will enjoy after the 2.4-mile “fun” walk.
“More than 25 percent of our operating budget comes from the monies raised on this one day, so it’s absolutely crucial it be a success,” according to The Red Devils Executive Director Jan Wilson, who expects a turnout of 600-plus.
Through a provider network, The Red Devils funds services such as transportation to and from doctor appointments; help with drug co-payments; meals and groceries; housecleaning; and therapeutic massages.
The group operates from temporary headquarters on Joppa Road in Towson, MD. A fire last August 22 forced The Red Devils to abandon offices on York Road in Baltimore City near the historic Senator Theatre. Wilson learned of the blaze from a late-night television report that Friday. By Monday, a Good Samaritan had appeared in the form of the American Breast Cancer Foundation (ABCF), a non-profit founded in 1997 that offered to share space in their national headquarters at 1220 B E. Joppa Road, Ste. 332, in Towson, MD. Two days later, The Red Devils were moved in.
According to ABCF Co-founder and President Phyllis Wolf, “We’ve been a long-standing supporter of The Red Devils. Our services are very complementary. Through our Key to Life Breast Cancer Screening Program, we focus on providing uninsured and underinsured women and men nationwide with the financial assistance they need to obtain diagnostic services such as mammograms and biopsies because early detection saves lives. ”
“We were really blessed to have a helping hand from ABCF as well as the other sponsors and individuals committed to making this stroll a success despite the bleak economic climate,” according to Wilson who says this year’s Stroll fundraising goal is $130,000.
“Every dollar you raise gets us closer and helps fund essential support services for breast cancer patients and their families. Here’s how we’ll put the money you raise to good use. $50 will help pay for one roundtrip ride for treatment. $75 will cover one house cleaning. $100 will help provide meals and groceries for a family for one week. $300 will help pay a patient’s prescription drug co-payments,” Wilson says.
Under Armour is this year’s Presenting Sponsor. The performance apparel, footwear and accessories of the Maryland-based manufacturer are worn by athletes worldwide.
“This is Under Armour’s first year and we’re really proud to be associated with this brand and the fact they selected us for their support,” says 2009 Stroll co-chair Paige Koerner.
Co-chair Claudia Brooke says,” We are equally grateful that we’ve retained our very first sponsor, Howard County General Hospital, which has been with us from day one in a very visible way.”
According to the Stroll’s third co-chair Stephanie Inglis, other notable sponsors this year include Aegon Transamerica Foundation, Greater Baltimore Medical Center (GBMC); Harbor Hospital, part of the MedStar Health network; Good Samaritan Hospital; and the Sandra and Malcolm Berman Cancer Center at GBMC.
Clear Channel Outdoor, a national outdoor advertising company with an area office in Laurel, MD, is another business that stepped up to the plate in tough economic times to help The Red Devils. Ronda Badiang, a Carroll County resident who has benefited from The Red Devils services, called the company out of the blue late this winter in hopes of securing a billboard.
Says Badiang, “I realized it was a very long shot but why not? We had nothing to lose and everything to gain.”
Badiang learned from that Clear Channel Outdoor makes many efforts to support non-profits if there is available inventory. As it happened, The Red Devils request came at exactly the “right” moment. Several billboards could be positioned just in time to allow a few weeks of advance promotion for the Stroll. Five billboards were donated: two in Carroll County; two in Baltimore City; and one in Prince George’s County.
Other Baltimore media supporting the Stroll are ABC 2 TV; MIX 106.5 Radio (WWMX-FM), whose on-air morning show personality “JoJo” Girard will emcee the event along with WMAR’s Cheryl Conner; plus SmartWoman Online.
Recently, The Red Devils received a $150,000 grant from Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the world’s largest source of nonprofit funds dedicated to the fight against breast cancer. The grant is the single largest
received in the history of the organization and in part helped fund The Red Devils expansion earlier this year into the D.C. suburbs of Maryland’s Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties.
Now in its seventh year, The Red Devils was incorporated in 2002, founded by the families and friends of Jessica Cowling and Ginny Schardt, who succumbed to breast cancer that same year, a month apart. The two had met during chemotherapy treatment and were fortunate to have a superior support network.
The Red Devils Board President Jeanne Backof says “We wanted other people who didn’t have that same level of help to know that someone out there cared very much whether they lived and that there was a good quality-of-life to their existence. Our assistance is not based on economic need, but on the toll breast cancer takes not just on the patient, but her circle of friends and family who also are devastated by this disease.”
On-line registration for the Heart and Sole Stroll is underway now. Day-of registration is at 9:00 a.m., with the walk set to begin at 10:00 a.m. More than 600 strollers turned out last year and organizers hope to exceed that number this June. Individual registration for the Heart and Sole Stroll is $35; a family registration is $70. Everyone – including leashed family pets – is welcome to participate in this non-competitive walk held “rain or shine” on June 14.
Says Wilson, “In addition to enjoying the walk around Centennial Lake in Columbia, you’ll be entertained in the Strollers Village, have an opportunity to meet representatives from our partner hospitals and sponsors, and enjoy a picnic with friends and family to celebrate your achievement. Make sure you get some ice cream, too, dished out by the MIX 106.5 staff.”
For more information about the Heart and Sole Stroll, visit the special stroll web site at www.heartandsolestroll.org or call The Red Devils headquarters at 410-323-0135.