The ladies of Orchid Island organized their third annual Connecting for Cancer Girls Night Out Bash last Monday evening at the lovely home of Ruth and Murray Martin, gathering to raise funds for the Indian River Medical Center Foundation’s Pay-It-Forward Fund.
Last year’s fundraiser also benefitted Pay-It-Forward, which assists eligible cancer patients in need with financial aid to pay for some of their treatment expenses.
While the women browsed through dozens of donated silent auction items, the men attended a Boy’s Night Out at the Orchid Island Golf Club, where they would be served what was touted as “food your wife won’t let you eat” – as in pizza, sliders, ribs and brownies.
“I am sure all the husbands are there; we just had to be out of the house,” joked Murray Martin.
The ladies on the other hand enjoyed mini-croissant chicken salad sandwiches, petite spinach quiches and bacon-wrapped asparagus, all prepared by the industrious committee. Members had also donated the wine and decorations, ensuring that all the money raised would directly benefit the fund.
The home had the perfect layout for the almost 150 ladies who attended. The living room was bursting with silent auction items, which also spilled over into the Florida Room by the pool. On a second patio overlooking the golf course, guests enjoyed icy cosmopolitans, which flowed from a ribbon-shaped ice sculpture.
“Since I am a cancer survivor and I also did some oncology nursing, I have great sympathy for those with cancer,” said Ruth Martin, who had been asked to host this year by event founders Nancy Cruce and Gerry Collins. “God has gifted us with good health now so we are happy to share that good fortune with others.”
Guests had been asked to wear colors representing the various types of cancer they were supporting – teal for ovarian, white for lung, pink for breast, light blue for prostrate and lavender which represented the full spectrum of cancers. Each committee member was distinguished by colored “hugs,” which were scarves knitted by Kathy Dunlop.
“Every year they have had the committee wear something to distinguish them for the night. Then they just threw them out. So I said why don’t I just make these and then we could donate them to the cancer center,” said Dunlop, who felt the scarves would be a physical as well as mental comfort for the patients.
“We are so honored Orchid is holding this event for us. They touch so many patient lives,” said Bev Sanders, director of gift planning at the IRMC Foundation.
“It’s truly a gift that you cannot put a price tag on.”
“Everybody has such a connection to cancer because either they or their family has had some kind of experience with the disease, so the whole community wants to get involved,” said Collins.