The Foley Group sponsors Whitpain event, inspires bone marrow drive
Thanks to the involvement of Pat Foley, Financial Advisor, and his team in Philadelphia, Pa., the 2013 Whitpain Harvest Festival held on Oct. 12 was more than a free, fun-filled community gathering. This year, it became an event with the potential to save lives.
As president of the Whitpain Recreation Association, Pat saw an opportunity to add a charitable aspect to the festival when he was asked to help plan the event. He reached out to his sister, Shannon Henn, executive director of Love Hope Strength – a “rock ‘n’ roll cancer foundation” that turns concerts into lifesaving events by enlisting concert-goers to become bone marrow donors.
Together, Pat and Shannon worked to add musical performances and a bone marrow drive to the harvest festival. Thanks to the organization’s connections, they were able to book a well-known headliner: singer-songwriter Brett Dennen, who is a proponent of Love Hope Strength’s mission. Other musicians included local acts Michael Favinger and Emilie Van Blarcom, along with performers from the Fort Washington School of Rock and Ashley Leone.
Members of Baird’s Marketing & Communications Department also pitched in to help promote the event. PWM Marketing Coordinator Hilary Rasmussen, Art Director Virginia Sunu-Davis and Digital Communications Specialist Mary Paiser were particularly instrumental in developing flyers, posters, invitations and other collateral to support the festival.
“It was truly a group effort, and the results – despite a total lack of cooperation from Mother Nature – were phenomenal,” Pat said.
Rain cancelled the festival’s outdoor activities, but it did not stop the concerts or the bone marrow drive, which were held at PJ Whelihan’s Pub & Restaurant. There, 65 attendees added their names to the National Bone Marrow Registry.
“It is reasonable to expect that in the years ahead that collection of names will field a lifesaving match for someone suffering from cancer,” Pat said.
Since 2007, Love Hope Strength has added more than 48,000 people to international marrow databases and located nearly 700 matches for patients in need of bone marrow transplants.
“The Township was thrilled with Baird’s support of the event, and next year we look forward to making it even bigger and to adding even more names to the registry,” Pat said.
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