Being diagnosed with cancer is heartbreaking. Experiencing radiation and chemotherapy is frightening. Having to travel hundreds of miles to seek medical help in an unfamiliar city is daunting - and that’s not taking into consideration the cost of being away from home.
What if, in that unfamiliar city, you had a free place to stay in a pleasant environment, with caring people around to boost your spirits in your darkest moments?
Since 1984, that’s been the goal of the 20th Century Club - “to provide no-cost temporary lodging to financially needy cancer patients receiving outpatient chemotherapy and radiation treatment at medical facilities in central Arkansas.”
The first lodge sponsored by the club opened as Hope Lodge in the Quapaw Quarter. In 2011, a new lodge with a new name- the 20th Century Club’s Lodge - opened at Maryland Avenue and Cedar Street south of Interstate 630. The 21-room lodge is convenient to St. Vincent Infirmary Medical Center and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, and it’s just up the interstate from Baptist Health. The rooms in the lodge are comfortably furnished with two double beds, a large bathroom, flat-screen television and a kitchenette - not unlike a well-appointed hotel room.
Continuing to provide that comfort is where the annual Hope Ball comes in.
“Giving Hope” is the theme for the Saturday ball, and the pair charged with pulling it off are Kori Gordon and Kelly Thompson.
Gordon, an erstwhile pharmacist with Arkansas Children’s Hospital, learned about the 20th Century Club through a club member.
“It’s the best organization I’ve ever be-longed to,” she says.
Thompson was invited by a member to a club luncheon, where her interest was piqued by the club’s mission.
Based on ticket sales, the membership - more than 100 very active members and a strong group of sustainers - expects more than 700 people to attend. It hopes to raise $320,000 for the lodge’s annual operating budget, which runs about $280,000. Any excess funds will be split between the cost of a generator for the lodge and an endowment.
CLUB HISTORY
The 20th Century Club was founded in 1941 to assist in the war effort. Members volunteered with the Red Cross and USO making bandages and collecting clothes and food to send to servicemen. After the war, the club directed its efforts to local charities. In 1964, with the growth of cancer treatment facilities in central Arkansas, members decided to concentrate on cancer-related projects.
The new lodge averages about 1,200 patients annually.Since opening in 2011, more than 16,000 nights have been spent there by patients and their caregivers, and that resource is funded by the generosity generated at the Hope Ball.
During the opening reception, attendees can stroll through the “Super Silent Auction” and use their smartphones and the BidPal application to place bids. Among the auction items are a visit to the Dallas Cowboys training camp in Oxnard, Calif., and vacations to Puerto Rico and Las Vegas to - closer to home - stays at the Capital Hotel, Greers Ferry and Bentonville. Golfers would enjoy tickets to the HP Byron Nelson Championship tournament or a few rounds at Red Apple Inn, while duck hunters could head to Ink Bayou Meto Hunt Club.
The live auction includes five special items: a Wine Country Experience in California for four people; a locally hosted dinner for 12 people with food prepared by chef Rick Johnson of The Everglade City Cafe in Chicago; a week’s stay in a three-bedroom home in Rockport, Mass.; a graduated diamond necklace with 159 round brilliant cut diamonds; and a lease on a 2014 Infiniti QX80 Luxury SUV (one year/12,000 miles).
After a seated dinner, the Angels of Hope will be presented. These 11th-grade girls spend a year volunteering at the lodge and at cancer treatment facilities at local hospitals. The program teaches cancer awareness, encourages service and inspires the girls to be community leaders.
Master of ceremonies duties will be split between two radio personalities from rival broadcast companies, KURBFM, B98’s Lisa Fischer (Cumulus) and KABZ-FM, The Buzz’s David Bazzell (Signal). The auctioneer will be Billy Hartnedy. Kaufman Lumber is the presenting sponsor of the ball, which is black-tie optional.
The evening ends with dancing to the music of the popular Tragikly White.
The Hope Ball will be held at 6 p.m. Saturday in the Wally Allen Ballroom at the Statehouse Convention Center. Tickets are $250 per person. For more information, call the lodge at (501) 907-1760, or visit the web site, hopeawayfromhome.org to buy tickets online.
High Profile, Pages 33 on 03/02/2014