Indian River County – The July Dyer Difference Award for Indian River County recognizes the
American Cancer Society. The three words no one ever wants to hear from her health care professional are, “You have cancer.”
And while those three words used to be akin to a death sentence, that is no longer the case, with more and more people surviving cancer and celebrating more birthdays. The mission of the American Cancer Society is to save lives, celebrate lives, and lead the fight for a world without cancer.
The organization’s dedication to research, education, serving and assisting individuals and families touched by cancer inspired the staff at Dyer Chevrolet in Fort Pierce and Dyer Chevrolet Mazda Subaru in Vero Beach to present the July Dyer Difference Award to the American Cancer Society in St. Lucie and Indian River Counties respectively.
In addition to groundbreaking research, the American Cancer Society provides services and education for those affected by cancer, with an increase of 21 percent of patients in need of assistance on the Treasure Coast from 2015 to 2016. Nearly 600 patients received assistance from support care programs in 2016, with many patients sharing that the support they received helped them beat the disease and become cancer survivors. Research and services are funded in part thanks to donations and fundraisers like Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, an annual walk which honors breast cancer survivors and raises awareness and funding to help reduce the risk of getting breast cancer and ultimately eliminating the disease.
Since relocating to the area in 2008, each month, Dyer Chevrolet staff members at Dyer Chevrolet Fort Pierce and Dyer Chevrolet Mazda Subaru in Vero Beach meet to review the applications that have been submitted in their respective counties and select one non-profit organization to receive that month’s recognition and a $3,000 award in each county.
For the Dyer family and the members of the Dyer staff, the award and the $6,000 in donations between the two counties are all about helping to make a positive difference in the community. For the recipients, it’s an acknowledgment of their tireless efforts to do the same and a much-needed financial boost to help further their missions. If you’d like to nominate a non-profit organization for the Dyer Difference Award, please visit www.dyerdifference.org or find Dyer Difference on Facebook.