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Gilda's Club Middle Tennessee Williamson County Franklin location

Gilda’s Club Middle Tennessee to Celebrate Grand Opening of Williamson County Location with Open House for the Community

NASHVILLE, TENN. – May 3, 2018 – Gilda’s Club Middle Tennessee, a non-profit dedicated to providing social and emotional support to those impacted by cancer, including family members and friends of those diagnosed, will host a grand opening event and ribbon cutting for its Williamson County location on Tuesday, May 15 from 4:30-6:30 pm. The new facility, located within the Provision CARES Proton Therapy Center at 4588 Carothers Parkway in Franklin, will enable Gilda’s Club to better serve the growing needs of Middle Tennessee’s expanding population.

“We are thrilled to bring Gilda’s free program of support groups, healthy lifestyle classes, mind-body classes, social activities, educational lectures and workshops to a second Middle Tennessee location,” said Sandy Obodzinski, president and CEO of Gilda’s Club Middle Tennessee. “To be a part of this new oncology care campus in Williamson County – in partnership with Provision CARES – is incredibly exciting, as it means our programs will be more convenient for those living in Williamson County and the surrounding region.”

“Several years ago, the Gilda’s Club board made a strategic decision to pursue opportunities to expand our program beyond our existing Midtown Nashville campus. We want to reach more people in the Middle Tennessee region with resources, tools and support, so families are not alone when there is a cancer diagnosis,” said Jim Brown, board chair of Gilda’s Club.

Gilda’s Club is partnering with Williamson Inc. Chamber on its grand opening event to welcome business and community leaders, as well as individuals and families, to learn more about the free support program Gilda’s will provide at this new location. The community-centric event will feature food from Puckett’s Trolley, Christie Cookies and others, plus games and fun for the whole family. Gilda’s Club and Provision CARES staff will also offer tours of the center. Remarks by Gilda’s Club leaders and Williamson Inc. Chamber begin at 5pm, followed by the ribbon cutting event.

“The Chamber and this community truly appreciate Gilda’s Club opening a location in Franklin,” said Nancy Conway, senior vice president of Community Relations, Williamson Inc. “The facility and staff will provide a place where people with cancer, and their families and friends can join with others for emotional support, education and social interaction, building a strong group that shares a common experience. We are fortunate to have Gilda’s Club in Franklin, and we welcome them.”

To learn more about Gilda’s Club Middle Tennessee or this event, 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 Gilda’s Club Worldwide
Gilda’s Club was founded in New York City (GCNYC) in memory of the talented Saturday Night Live comedian, Gilda Radner, who died of ovarian cancer in 1989. Founded by Gene Wilder (Radner’s then husband), psychotherapist Joanna Bull, Mandy Patinkin, Joel Siegel, and other generous individuals, GCNYC opened its iconic Red Door in 1995 to provide a place where cancer patients and their families could find support, resources, and a community that cares. In 2000, the success of Gilda’s Club NYC gave birth to Gilda’s Club Worldwide, an organization dedicated to developing a national network of clubhouses. In 2009, Gilda’s Club Worldwide merged with The Wellness Community to form the Cancer Support Community (CSC), now the largest cancer support network in the country – with a network of more than 50 local affiliates and 100 satellite locations and online resources.

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.

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