Joan and Lyn have been the powerhouse co-chairs behind the Blue Hope Bash and the creative driving force behind the event's incredibly successful auctions and raffle. We're proud to honor this dynamic duo as our September Heroes of the Month, and hope you are as inspired by them as we are!
We sat down with Lyn (pictured right) to hear more about what got her involved and the secret behind their fundraising success.
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Get in the driver's seat to fight colorectal cancer!
Joan & Lyn have secured an amazing deal - for a $100 raffle ticket, you could win a 2017 Mercedes-Benz CLA 250. The best part? You don't have to be at the Bash to win!
Check out bluehopebash.com for more information.
I'm Lyn Ferriero, and our family relocated to Virginia after living 14+ years in Florida. We have been in this beautiful area for the past 17 years, and I retired in 1999 after a very successful 25 year career in banking. My husband Jay and I have two daughters, both married to amazing guys. In February, our oldest daughter gave birth to our first grandson, Rowan, who was born the day before we celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary - all the more reason to celebrate life's blessings. Rowan is now the center of our world.
My husband and I enjoy traveling and have created a lifetime of amazing memories. We are active in the University of Notre Dame in both the Presidents Circle and Cavanaugh Council, both supporting shared visions and commitments to ND. We travel often to Notre Dame for football weekends, hockey games, and visiting friends and family...... and, of course, our new grandson!
What is the Blue Hope Bash and why are you excited for this year's event?
I'm excited for this years Blue Hope Bash because of the merger of Chris4Life and Colon Cancer Alliance. The merger has created a dynamic group of talented individuals with a mutual passion to increase awareness and fund research that will lead to a CURE. The Blue Hope Bash is our largest annual fundraiser and all the money raised directly saves lives through the Colon Cancer Alliance's patient and family support services, prevention programs and research funding. 100% of every donation is used to further the mission.
How did you get involved as a co-chair?
As a former Board Member of Chris4Life, CEO Michael Sapienza and I had many conversations, over the years, about my involvement with Chris4Life. Michael knew I had a passion and a strong level of commitment about how I could make a difference. Of course, I didn't feel like I could give it the time it needed to be successful, but I quickly realized it wasn't about me, it was about those who would benefit from my involvement ....and that's all it took! I didn't have plenty of free time but I had plenty of heart.
You and Joan helped raise over $135,000 last year. How does it feel to know that your work is helping to further our mission to knock out colon cancer?
Volunteering to be co-chair of the auction committee was going to be a challenge for me since I had limited experience (actually no experience) with fundraising, but after meeting Joan McCarty, I knew together WE could make a difference. Together, we had new ideas and we were ready for the challenge to implement positive change. The satisfaction of getting things done and creating a new vision for raising the bar was our motivation. Last year, we created new ideas that have never been done at the Blue Hope Bash, such as adding a LIVE auction to the program as well as silent auction, our exciting Car Raffle for the new Mercedes-Benz, and our fabulous "Bubbles & Bling" raffle for a diamond. Packaging donations to create awesome auction items was a huge change too. It rewarded us well, raising almost $500,000.00 - the most ever at the Bash!
This year we're looking to raise even more, auctioning another Mercedes-Benz and upping the ante for the "Bubbles & Bling" with an amazing sapphire.
What advice would you give others who wanted to get involved in putting an end to colon cancer?
When we volunteer, we CAN make a difference with opportunities to collaborate and brainstorm and implement ideas for change. GET INVOLVED AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
Anything else you'd like to share?
Be generous in ALL areas of your life. The more you give of yourself, the more you will see flowing back to you. My favorite quote from St Francis is: "Start by doing what's necessary; then do whats possible; and suddenly you are doing the IMPOSSIBLE!!"
Don’t forget, the Colon Cancer Alliance serves as a source of information about colon health. If you have additional questions about colon cancer screening or are in need of support, please contact our free Helpline at (877) 422-2030. We’re here to help.