Community-Driven Fundraisers Greatly Appreciated by Thompson
What do young children, drag queens and the members of a motorcycle club have in common? Turns out, more than you might think: They are all examples of people in the community who have raised or are raising money to support those served by Thompson Health.
Heather Rickett is the director of the F.F. Thompson Foundation, the fundraising arm of the nonprofit organization. She said community-driven fundraising events can be anything from corn hole tournaments, to spaghetti dinners, to rummage sales. No matter what and no matter how much they raise, they are greatly appreciated by Thompson.
“These third-party fundraisers really take the pressure off of the foundation’s staff because planning events can be very time-consuming,” she said. “This allows our staff to focus on other elements of fundraising, such as applying for grants, maintaining relationships with donors, and fostering corporate partnerships.”
Just recently, the Constellation Brands-Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center (CMAC) hosted the Rock for a Cause Community Concert benefiting both Thompson and the Canandaigua Emergency Squad. Earlier this year, Canandaigua National Bank & Trust Co. supported the palliative care program at Thompson’s M.M. Ewing Continuing Care Center through its Casual Blue for Charity program.
But third-party fundraisers don’t have to be large-scale initiatives organized by other nonprofits or businesses.
For example, in the summer of 2020, Jared and Stacie Rogers’ three children decided to host a lemonade stand at the family farm in East Bloomfield. It was just a few months after the pandemic began, and their idea was to donate the proceeds to Thompson’s nursing home so everyone could enjoy some ice cream. They set up just inside a large door to the shop at the farm, with family and friends dropping by.
“It downpoured so everybody stayed in the shop and just kept buying things,” Stacie Rogers recalled, noting that between their lemonade and their treats – some of which they’d purchased with their own money – the kids raised over $200.
“It’s hard to know how to give back when you’re a kid, but they did what they did, how they could,” she said, noting the kids also made drawings for the nursing home, where state and federal guidelines were prohibiting visitors in all but end-of-life situations. “They just wanted to bring some light into a sad situation.”
While very few other third-party fundraisers took place during the first several months of the pandemic, once vaccines became available and events began to pop up, Rickett heard from others who wanted to support Thompson causes via the Foundation.
For example, in October of 2021, The Lake House in Canandaigua hosted two “Drag Me to Brunch” events featuring popular Rochester drag queens. Both quickly sold out, with proceeds benefiting the Dr. Laurie Sands and Constellation Brands Breast Imaging Center at Thompson.
It was around the same time that the Foundation first heard from the Finger Lakes Chapter of the Renegade Pigs Motorcycle Club, a nonprofit organization comprised of active and retired law enforcement officers and first responders. The chapter is planning a July 17 event called Cruisin’ Against Cancer.
The motorcycle run will set off from Lincoln Hill Farms in Canandaigua, with registration beginning at 11 a.m. and “kickstands up” at 1 p.m. Motorcycle entries are $20 each, with passengers an additional $10. Cars are welcome to take part for $20 flat. Proceeds will benefit the Sands Cancer Center, which is located on Thompson’s campus and part of the Wilmot Cancer Institute.
J.D. Winter, the chapter’s secretary, said cancer has affected all of the chapter’s members in one way or another, and the Sands Cancer Center is where some of their loved ones have received treatment.
“We’re looking to see how it goes this year, and if it has a decent showing, we’ll continue it each year,” he said, noting that Ontario County Back the Blue is helping sponsor the event, which should boost the turnout.
Whether it’s a motorcycle run, golf tournament or car wash, Rickett said she meets with organizers of third-party fundraisers early in the planning stages to offer helpful hints and establish what the Foundation can and cannot do.
“We’ve had such a variety in recent years and as COVID restrictions lift and people start getting together, we can’t wait to see what’s next,” she said.
If you are interested in supporting Thompson Health via a third-party fundraiser, please contact the F.F. Thompson Foundation at 585-396-6156 or Thompson_Foundation@urmc.rochester.edu.