SURF community raises $9,000 for local breast cancer patients
Funds raised by the Sanford Underground Research Facility team support Lead-Deadwood Foundation for Health's “pink bubble”
This October, giant pink ribbons again beamed from the Yates and Ross Headframes at Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF). It was Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and below the illuminated ribbons, the SURF team was raising funds for breast cancer patients in their community.
SURF’s campaign slingshotted past its original goal of $5,000, raising just over $9,000 for the Lead-Deadwood Foundation for Health. The gift included $5,518.25 in matching funds from the South Dakota Science and Technology Authority (SDSTA), which manages SURF.
“The Foundation for Health supports breast cancer patients in our local area, many of whom are our neighbors, our friends, and our family members,” said Mike Headley, executive director of the SDSTA and laboratory director at SURF. “Our staff and community showed up in a big way this October, and the SDSTA is proud to match the generous donations given during this campaign.”
Over five years, the SDSTA has raised more than $23,600 dollars for the Foundation for Health. The campaign also encourages staff and partners to raise awareness by sharing resources, attending fundraising events, and finding creative ways to “go pink.”
“Each year looks different for us, but every year, the needs of local patients and their families remain,” said Laurie Wince, director of the Foundation for Health. “The commitment from the SURF team has been so solid. We’ve are grateful and overwhelmed by your continued support.”
The Foundation for Health has been providing opportunities to the community with health, safety, and personal needs for more than 35 years. The Foundation for Health also runs the “Tough Enough to Wear Pink” campaign during the Days of ’76 Rodeo as a way to increase support for breast cancer patients in the area.
“We call it our ‘pink bubble,’” said Wince. “All funds raised in the name of breast cancer go directly to helping those patients specifically.”
The Foundation for Health’s pink bubble bridges daily living costs for breast cancer patients that aren’t addressed by medical insurance. These include transportation to and from treatments, travel and lodging for the patient and their families, and lymphedema compression sleeves. Funds are also used for nutrition, pre- and post-testing, and education. The Foundation for Health also provided funds to the Regional Health Lead-Deadwood Hospital to redo a section of flooring in order to stabilize the mammogram machine.
The Foundation for Health provides for multiple wellness initiatives in the area. These include funds to help the hospital purchase an ambulance; helmets for kids participating in ski programs; flu shots for non-profit children’s care organizations; and wheelchairs for business to offer to their patrons. To learn more about Foundation for Health, visit their website.