Betty Kearns Cancer Fund
Posted on October 14, 2019
October 14, 2019 The Betty Kearns Cancer fund is expanding through the Community Foundation of St. Clair County to help more community members in their fight against cancer. Not all cancers can be treated at our state of the art local facilities. This Fund will help more families ease their financial burdens during a patient’s treatment, wherever their treatment takes them, and allow them to focus on healing.
“I am so grateful to be able to collaborate with the Community Foundation not only to continue the legacy of Betty Kearns but to help even more people battling cancer including children,” said Amy Andrews Curtis, President of the Betty Kearns Cancer Fund.
Carolyn Kearns Bonacci, daughter of Betty Kearns said, “Both of my parents would be so very proud of the success of the Betty Kearns Cancer Fund and all the people we have been able to help through a very stressful time.”
Hundreds of local women have attended and supported The Betty Kearns Little Black Dress event that began in 2007 with the purpose of raising funds for local breast cancer programs. In 2016, it expanded to the Betty Kearns Cancer Fund to help both men and women fighting any type of cancer. Now the committee is expanding to help even more local families by providing their support to individuals from our community, no matter where they receive their cancer treatment.
The Fund was started in honor of the late Betty Kearns who passed away in 2006 from breast cancer. Betty and her husband Ted Kearns were born and raised in Port Huron. Betty was a stay at home mother who always had a smile on her face and homemade cookies baking. The Kearns belonged to two dance clubs and were a delight to watch on the dance floor, they just loved to go dancing. The family fondly remembers Betty and her little black dresses. Betty’s legacy now lives on when hundreds of women dress up to attend the annual Little Black Dress event and dance the night away.
“My grandmother would be honored to know that the funds raised assist cancer patients from within the community that she loved so much. We’re helping with everyday expenses when cancer treatment hinders their ability to work, hoping to ease stress and let them focus on healing,” said Debbie Reynolds, granddaughter of Betty Kearns.
Amy Andrews Curtis added, “It has been an honor to Chair our event and to continue to connect people through a great cause. Cancer touches everyone in our community in one way or another. I would love to see the event raise over $100,000. It is amazing to see over 800 women, all dressed up, enjoying their friends and family.”
The 14th Annual Little Black Dress event will be held on Friday, March 6, 2020 at the Blue Water Convention Center. Last year the event sold out and raised over $70,000 to help more than 40 individuals in the community.
The Community Foundation is the largest Foundation serving Michigan’s Thumb Coast region with assets of approximately $75 million. It is the Foundation’s mission to help donors achieve their goals by connecting them with like-minded donors and partners striving to improve our quality of life and increase our regional vibrancy and prosperity.
