The 2017 Cancer Association of Champaign County’s Candlelight Tour of Homes and associated raffle for a customized, original artwork from a “Dennis the Menace” cartoon panel illustrator raised $8,200.
According to its website, “CACC is totally funded by donations, corporate and private, special fund-raisers, bequests through Leave A Legacy and through funding from the United Way. Our organization is totally staffed by volunteers. Because of the help and involvement of ALL of our providers, CACC is able to return to our county residents over 90 cents of each dollar received.”
The raffle began a few months before the tour and tickets were available at various participating banks and businesses in Urbana and Champaign County. More than 1,700 tickets were sold.
Urbana resident Al Evans was the lucky winner who was awarded the chance to give illustrator Ron Ferdinand a concept for a “Dennis the Menace” cartoon. Ferdinand created the artwork specifically for Evans. The creation is shown as an accompaniment to this article.
The mission statement of the CACC is “To provide Champaign County residents afflicted with cancer, financial assistance with the medicines and treatments necessary for their illness, and to provide emotional support in dealing with the disease.”
In addition to the raffle, five Urbana homeowners opened their doors for tourists on Dec. 2. Tickets admitted tourists to all five residences. The homeowners participating this year were Bob and Tammy DelPico, Corey and Emily Huffman, Mikola Neeld, Gary and Shelly Reser and John and Cindy Zugaro.
The CACC continues its fund-raising efforts as the year ends with a calendar sale. The calendars profile area residents who have had or are dealing with cancer. Many of their stories shed light on how lives are different when dealing with cancer. Not all profiles are survivors, some are a legacy to those whose life was cut short by cancer.
The calendars are designed to bring awareness of cancer in the community. The generous support of many local businesses aid in the production of the calendars.
They have been available to participants in the CACC Tour of Homes and are for sale throughout Champaign County. All proceeds help to further the services of the Cancer Association of Champaign County. Calendars may be purchased for $10 at the Depot, The Hair Closet, Peoples Saving Bank, Lily’s Garden, Perpetual Federal Savings Bank, HER Realtors, International Harvester Credit Union, The Village Pharmacy, Civista Bank, CHAR’s Market & Kitchen, Security National Bank and the Mad River Farm Market.
