DCF Awards Proactive Grant to American Cancer Society

The grant will support the Dearborn County Relay for Life event.

DCF Board member Jan Tyler, center, presents $1,000 grant check to American Cancer Society Relay for Life volunteers/Event Co-leaders, Samantha Peddenpohl and Josh Richey. Photo provided.

(Lawrenceburg, Ind.) - The Dearborn Community Foundation (DCF), Inc. recently awarded a $1,000 Proactive Grant to the American Cancer Society (ACS) to support the organization's Dearborn County Relay For Life, which is the ACS' signature event.

In a continuing effort to make an impact in the Dearborn County community, DCF is awarding 15 proactive grants of $1,000 each throughout 2022 to charitable organizations that serve Dearborn County residents. Each of the Foundation’s 15 volunteer board members is recommending a grant. The money comes from the Foundation’s Unrestricted Endowment Funds, established by donors to provide flexibility to address changing needs in the community over the years.

"There are many reasons I recommended the grant. … We all know someone who was diagnosed with cancer. The ACS offers programs and services to help patients and their caregivers during and after cancer treatment," said DCF Board member Jan Tyler.

The ACS 24/7 cancer helpline provides support for people dealing with cancer. ACS connects folks with trained cancer information specialists who answer questions about a cancer diagnosis and provide guidance and a compassionate ear, she said.

"ACS also funds research, which is what it takes to outsmart cancer. ACS invested more than $5 billion in cancer research since 1946, all to find more, and better, treatments, uncover factors that may cause cancer, and improve cancer patients’ quality of life," said Tyler.

Tyler is a 24-year breast cancer survivor and her husband; Randy Tyler is a 24-year melanoma cancer survivor. "Cancer came to live at our house when our children were ages nine, seven and four. We were able to utilize many ACS resources and community resources to assist us through a difficult situation. I've witnessed many other Dearborn County residents benefit from the ACS programs and services, and I'd like to continue seeing that happen," she said.

"We have seen firsthand the services ACS provides to cancer patients and their families. Locally, cancer patients utilize the ACS Cancer Survivors Network, the Reach To Recovery program, and the Hope Lodge program, just to name a few."

Not just the patient is affected when cancer is diagnosed. Many times, a cancer diagnosis is new territory for a family, and ACS has resources available to assist families as they navigate the situation. ACS provides education about treatment options, advice on coping with side effects, and answers to questions about health insurance, said Tyler.

Relay For Life is a fundraising arm of the ACS, fighting for a world without cancer. ACS provides services to cancer patients and their families while completing groundbreaking research, said Joshua Richey, Event Lead, Relay For Life of Dearborn/Ohio Counties.

"ACS provides rides to treatment through the Road To Recovery program, offers a 24/7 hotline for cancer patients and their families, and so much more. The grant will help us cover the minimal operating costs of the event, allowing us to give all we raise to the mission of ACS," he said.