NASHVILLE, TENN. – August 28, 2018 – On October 30, 2018, beginning at 6 p.m., Gilda’s Club Middle Tennessee will celebrate two decades of free cancer support in Nashville and surrounding areas with a 20th Anniversary Bash at the Omni Nashville Hotel.
With more than 400 business, civic and community leaders expected to attend, Gilda’s Club’s biggest fundraiser to date will feature a three-course plated dinner; special guests, including Gilda’s Club Worldwide Founder Joanna Bull; a look back at 20 years of Gilda’s Club in Middle Tennessee, along with a peek at what’s next for the growing organization; and, perhaps most importantly, the celebration of three community leaders for their giving hearts and extraordinary community impact. Honorees will include:
Holly Hearn Whaley, President & CEO, Nashville Wine Auction, who will be presented the inaugural Red Door Champion Award;
The Sprintz Family and Sprintz Furniture, who will be honored with the inaugural Dr. Gail Addlestone Community Building Award; and
Felice Apolinsky, LCSW, Program Director since 1998, Gilda’s Club Middle Tennessee, who will be recognized with The Nancy Saturn Award of Inspiration.
“For 20 years, Gilda’s Club Middle Tennessee has existed to ensure that no one has to face cancer alone – and it’s grown and served our Greater Nashville community in remarkable ways year after year,” said Sandy Obodzinski, president and CEO of the local non-profit. “We are thrilled to be celebrating this milestone and look forward to marking it with a special event that not only honors our past, but also shines the spotlight on three people who have helped Gilda’s Club achieve such success.”
According to Anthony Barton of CMT, board member and co-chair of the Gilda’s Club Middle Tennessee 20th Anniversary Bash, selecting the evening’s honorees was a moving process.
“Gilda’s Club Middle Tennessee has been fortunate to have a number of extraordinary people working on its behalf from the very beginning, including its Founding CEO Sandy Towers, whose determination to serve those facing cancer put us on the path to this anniversary event,” he said. “When our selection committee sat down, there were just so many compelling stories…stories of commitment, generosity, and love. Our honorees for the October 30 event embody these characteristics completely.”
Asked what guests can expect at the Gilda’s Club Middle Tennessee 20th Anniversary Bash, event Co-Chair Keri McInnis of Pinnacle Financial Partners said: “Guests can look forward to a cocktail hour, followed by a three-course meal with a silent auction – all presented in a thoughtfully and powerfully designed event space. Perhaps most importantly though, they’ll get an intimate look at some of the lives being made better through the support of Gilda’s Club Middle Tennessee. It’s certain to be an inspiring and memorable evening.
“Nashville is fortunate to have had an organization like Gilda’s Club for the past 20 years. I’m honored to be part of recognizing and celebrating the great work they do,” McInnis added.
To learn more or purchase tickets to Gilda’s Club’s 20th Anniversary Bash, sponsored in part by Omni Nashville Hotel, Zander Insurance, HCA / Tri-Star Health, CMT, Ankura, Dale & Associates, visit https://501auctions.com/yourgildasclub. To learn more about Gilda’s Club Middle Tennessee, visit https://gildasclubmiddletn.org/.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Laura Alabed-Olsson, Dir. Marketing / Communications
laura@gildasclubmiddletn.org
615.329.1124 or 615.948.7682 (cell)
About Gilda’s Club Middle Tennessee (formerly Gilda’s Club Nashville)
Gilda’s Club Middle Tennessee, an affiliate of Cancer Support Community, is dedicated to providing support, education and hope to all people impacted by cancer, including family members and friends of those diagnosed. Free of charge to everyone, Gilda’s Club Middle Tennessee provides a gathering place where people with cancer, as well as their families and friends, can join with others to actively involve themselves in building social and emotional support as a supplement to regular medical care. Gilda’s Club Middle Tennessee’s mission is to ensure all people impacted by cancer are empowered by knowledge, strengthened by action and sustained by community.
About Cancer Support Community
As the largest professionally-led nonprofit network of cancer support worldwide, the Cancer Support Community (CSC), including its Gilda’s Club affiliates, is dedicated to ensuring that all people impacted by cancer are empowered by knowledge, strengthened by action and sustained by community. CSC achieves its mission through three areas: direct service delivery, research, and advocacy. The organization includes an international network of affiliates that offer the highest quality social and emotional support for people impacted by cancer, as well as a community of support available online and over the phone. The Research and Training Institute conducts cutting-edge psychosocial, behavioral and survivorship research. CSC furthers its focus on patient advocacy through its Cancer Policy Institute, informing public policy in Washington, D.C. and across the nation. For more information, please call the toll-free Cancer Support Helpline at 888-793-9355 or visit www.CancerSupportCommunity.org.