One of a Kind Artwork Auction Helps Families Handle Cancer

This Saturday evening (November 24), you can pick up a one-of-a-kind masterpiece while supporting an amazing cause.

For ten years, Helping Families Handle Cancer has been hosting an annual art exhibit where artists with varying levels of experience sell off their artwork with proceeds going to support families who have a critically or terminally ill child.

While Helping Families Handle Cancer has held seven shows in Calgary and two in Lethbridge since 2010, this is the first time the Town of Cochrane will play host to the successful event.

Cochrane resident, Carie Stock is not only Founder of the Helping Families Handle Cancer Foundation but also a childhood cancer survivor herself. Watching her mom struggle with balancing work and a sick child as a single parent, Carie believes financial barriers should not be the reason why families can't be together in times of need. "We started Helping Families back in 2010 to help alleviate the financial stress of what people go through when their child is battling cancer. We are really excited because we have just hit 700 families helped through the Alberta Children's Hospital and in helping those families we have relieved over $600,000 worth of funds."

With Cochrane being Stock's hometown, she is absolutely thrilled to bring this event to our local community. Hoping to raise $3000 to $4000 at their first exhibit, Stock says as of now they will have 60 to 70 pieces of artwork in a variety of painting mediums such as ink, acrylic, oil as well as photography for sale. An evening where attendees are introduced to a wide variety of artists, the artwork is all sold on a first come, first serve basis, with 100% of proceeds going to support Cochrane families. "All monies that are raised in Cochrane will stay in Cochrane; we plan to have just a bank of funds we can use for local families that are referred."

The true impact of how the foundation has helped families will be witnessed first hand at the event. Cochrane resident Katie Zomar Davis,19, was a Cochrane Care Program Recipient three years ago and will speak at the event as an Ambassador Family of Helping Families Handle Cancer. Battling Leukemia when she was 16, Katie's family relocated from Cremona to Cochrane to make travel easier. Feeling the financial stress, Katie's family was referred to the foundation and offered financial assistance for parking passes, gas for back and forth trips to the hospital, grocery bills, and additional medical equipment expenses for when Katie came home. Now that Katie is a survivor she wants to pay it forward. "She wants to help other local families who also get diagnosed and help get through what she went through. She is going to be speaking at 8 o'clock."

The 10th annual Helping Families Art Exhibit is being held from 7 to 10 in the evening at the Final Touch Art Studio located off of 1st Ave West.