Dixie called me early one morning. She was so excited she could barely talk. She had just seen a news story on the Today Show about Endow a Dream, a grant that was going to award $100,000. Everything we wanted to do could be answered by capturing this prize. So I called the organization (this was pre-web days remember) and, after what seemed forever, we finally received the application packet.
Unfortunately, one requirement stated that awards would only be made to non-profit 501(c) 3 organizations. In October 1985, we had filed a DBA (doing business as)for The Rose. We had started to organize the governing Board for it but not much else. For over a year, we had talked about needing to apply for our non-profit status.
The time for talk had ended. The award deadline was 13 days away.
Somehow out of the blue, or maybe it was through the Yeiters, our future CPA company, we found a lawyer who was willing to file the paperwork. Michael Sterns probably thought we were crazy with this harebrain idea of setting up a non-profit that offered low cost mammograms. He made us explain and re-explain what it was we wanted to do. Although the “charity” work has always been significant at The Rose, we didn’t base our application on providing free services. In fact, from the very beginning we emphasized that those who could afford to pay for services would allow us to care for those who could not.
If Michael didn’t think the concept was crazy, he sure questioned our sanity when we told him we needed it prepared, sent to the Feds (IRS) and approved in less than two weeks. Part of the application process required State Charter plus submitting Articles of Incorporation with the State and a complete budget for the next four years. To say the least, the application process is a bit daunting and a bunch of paperwork.
He agreed. Dixie and I shared the cost of his fee.
The next week was spent rounding up facts and figures, I wrote most of the narrative for the explanation and Michael started hand carrying it through the process.
Seven days later we were notified of the approval! August 15, 1986, The Rose was finally official.
After all that, we didn’t win the Endow a Dream Award. However, we did start raising money.
Being the feminist that I am, it’s a little difficult to admit that our first fundraiser involved selling men, but it’s true. The Soroptimist, a local business women’s group of about 25 members, officially hosted the Bachelor of Distinction event. We held it at the local Hilton, who allowed us to bring in our on food -- an unheard of concession for hotels.
The popular news anchor, Kathryn Turner, agreed to emcee the night and told us years later that she had never seen anyone as frightened as Dixie was to be on stage. Even though Shirley Middleton had ransacked her Bridal Shop and found Dixie a fancy evening dress, even though Dixie talked to hundreds of groups about breast cancer, this was different. We were crossing a line into the wild world of special events and fundraising. Rosalie Kuntz and Stella Walters handled the money, Robbie Rainwater handled the cash bar. We auctioned off about 29 men -- physicians, bankers, an ex or two -- it didn’t matter; it was for a good cause, The Rose. In the forefront and background was Sherry Moore, who commandeered that fundraiser and, later, many, many others.
We raised $7,000 that night. That $7,000 was the seed money that opened our first screening center.
Anytime someone tells me their group is too small to make a difference in the world, I tell the story of the Soroptimists and the Bachelors Auction. I am so grateful to that handful of women who believed in us. They didn’t know then that the snacks they donated, the hours they spent mailing invitations and decorating would be the launching point of an organization that would become a national model for health programs reaching the medically underserved.
Too small? Never.
This memory is one of 25 short stories written by Dorothy Gibbons, the Co-founder and CEO of The Rose, a nonprofit breast cancer organization. She and Dr. Dixie Melillo received the 501C3 documents for The Rose in 1986. A memory will be shared daily, culminating with number 25 on the day The Rose celebrates its 25th anniversary November 10.
© 2011 Dorothy Gibbons. All rights reserved. 
No comments:
Post a Comment