Limestone Bling event personnel donate proceeds to Presque Isle-based non-profit
By Natalie Bazinet
Staff Writer
LIMESTONE — Caught up in the fun and fanfare, it’s easy to forget that last month’s Bling celebration was a fundraiser as well, but the fund-raising facet of Bling was prominent on Friday, Dec. 30 when Bling’s organizers, sponsors and participants presented the local non-profit C-A-N-C-E-R with a giant Blinged-out check for $7,335.
Aroostook Republican photo/Natalie Bazinet
The most recent Bling event, held on Dec. 14 at the Limestone Community School, raised a total of $7,335 which will be donated to local non-profit C-A-N-C-E-R (Caring Area Neighbors for Cancer Education and Recovery). Participating in the giant check presentation included, from left, sponsor and owner of Blvd. Graphix Joe LaPierre, C-A-N-C-E-R Vice Preside Alexis Madore, LCS senior who inspired the first Bling event in 2010 Zach Cote. C-A-N-C-E-R president Sue Nickerson, C-A-N-C-E-R board member Sue LeVasseur, Bling sponsor and owner of Al-Bears’s restaurant Michelle Albert, and LCS teacher and Bling organizer Jennifer Poitras.
Officials with the local support group expressed their surprise and appreciation for the donation. “We use the money for whatever the patient needs,” said C-A-N-C-E-R President Sue Nickerson, adding that assistance with travel is one of the most expensive aid-requests the group receives.
Bling event organizer Jennifer Poitras, a teacher at the Limestone Community School and a cancer survivor herself, was once again pleased with the community’s response to Bling. She organized the first Bling event in 2010, then titled “It’s All About the Bling,” after being inspired by the positive attitude of LCS student and cancer survivor Zach Cote, who lost part of his leg below the knee to cancer in 2009 when he was a sophomore.
In organizing the event, Poitras aimed to honor Cote, celebrate all cancer survivors of the region and to raise funds to help combat the disease; the first Bling event raised $4,789 and proceeds were donated to the American Cancer Society.
In 2011, “It’s All About the Bling” changed its name to simply “Bling” and while the event still celebrated survivors and cheered on a now-senior Cote and by painting his number on their faces, no. 23, fundraising far surpassed the 2010 total.
Much of the events funding came through local businesses, with sponsors having their business’s banners strewn throughout the gymnasium during the Bling event.
“The people of Aroostook County know all too well the difficulties that a cancer diagnosis brings and they stepped out in true Bling fashion to ‘pay it forward’ and to support local cancer patients,” Poitras added.
Also generating funds for C-A-N-C-E-R, The Limestone Community School athletic department donated 100 percent of basketball game admissions and the proceeds from the 50/50 raffle.
“That in itself is a tremendous show of support for Zach, for Bling and for cancer patients in the area,” Poitras said, adding that cancer has directly impacted the lives of many students and faculty of LCS.
One of the reasons why Poitras thinks Bling has been such a success is that cancer touches the hearts of nearly everyone.
“Chances are each person who attended the event has a family member, friend or acquaintance who has had cancer,” Poitras said. “Cancer is a very scary thing and it takes a strong community of caring folks to help patients endure treatments and begin to live again after their ordeal.”
The C-A-N-C-E-R volunteers play an important role in boosting morale of cancer patients — particularly through their Bread of Life program, through which volunteers bake, wrap and deliver breads and baked goods to cancer patients on the third Tuesday of every month.
“Sometimes they think they’re all alone in their disease, but if someone drops by their house and brings them all home-baked goodies, it’s a reminder that someone’s thinking of them,” Nickerson said.
C-A-N-C-E-R volunteers also have a wealth of knowledge they can use to assist cancer patients, like which hotels in Boston will provide a medical discount on their lodging when they have to go away for treatments.
“It’s neighbors helping neighbors,” Nickerson added.
Poitras said that one of the reasons C-A-N-C-E-R is a good fundraising partner is that the funds stay local.
“The funds we raised at Bling helps our families, friends and neighbors who may be diagnosed with cancer now or in the coming year,” Poitras said. “Times are tough and families are struggling — the generosity of those spectators, sponsors, players and community members ensures that local people battling cancer will have access to the funds that make cancer treatments and recover less stressful,” she added.
C-A-N-C-E-R officials expressed that the local cancer group is hoping to extend their neighborly assistance to the Limestone area.
“Hopefully this opens the door for [C-A-N-C-E-R] to help the community, but we need volunteers from [Limestone] to keep it going and we’d like to get them involved in our monthly Bread of Life Program,” she said.
Individuals wishing to assist C-A-N-C-E-R in their mission can call 764-6826.
Additional information is also available by visiting www.c-a-n-c-e-r.com.
