When a child is diagnosed with cancer, it really does take a community of supporters to make the child’s family feel loved and supported. Statesboro mom Jody Polk knows this first hand. When her daughter, Anna Hays, was diagnosed with cancer at the age of two, the Polks’ family, friends, and the entire community rallied on her behalf. Jody’s desire to give back to other families facing a similar diagnosis was evident at the Statesboro Sisters on Journey Dinner on April 13. About 350 guests gathered at The Belle House, a beautiful venue that was perfect for the evening. Hostesses creatively decorated their tables in a variety of themes and every single table was unique and beautiful. 
Tears filled Jody’s eyes as she kicked of the 2019 event by dedicating the evening to the memory of sweet Morgan Frison, a four- year-old Statesboro girl who passed away in November due to complications from her cancer treatment.
“Morgan’s life held such beautiful potential,” Jody said. “She had such a future and her it was her treatment, not her cancer, that ultimately killed her. We want her family to know that precious Morgan and the thousands of children like her are the reason that CURE will continue to raise funds and push for less harsh treatments created specifically for children.”
Savannah band, Tell Scarlet, provided musical entertainment as guests mingled and checked out table decorations and nearly 200 silent auction items on the back porch of The Belle House. Statesboro welcomed emcee Jamie Deen back for the third time. Jamie is son of cooking icon, Paula Deen, and a familiar face in South Georgia. Jamie entertained the guests until a delicious dinner, provided by Honey Catering, was served.
The focus then shifted to the purpose of the evening as Karen Rutherford and her daughter, Katie, took the stage. Karen is CURE’s Patient and Family Services Manager and Katie is a survivor of rhabdomyosarcoma. Both were open and transparent about the difficulties and triumphs of Katie’s battle. They movingly shared some of the toughest things about Katie’s treatment and helped everyone in attendance understand a little more of what it is like to fight cancer as a teenager. Karen wrapped up their story by sharing about the continued need for funding for research for better and more current treatments for kids battling cancer. The evening closed with an exciting live auction hosted by auctioneer, Joe Lanier. It was a beautiful, meaningful night.
We are thrilled to announce that our 2019 Statesboro Sisters on a Journey Event raised $81,000 for Catie’s Fund! These funds will support CURE’s precision medicine initiative, which brings individualized, gene-based treatment to children with cancer. Precision medicine is one of the most promising new areas of research for improving survival rates in children while lessening harsh side effects.
We are extremely grateful to all our sponsors, auction donors, volunteers, and tables hostesses who made this evening so special. Thank you, Statesboro!
Presenting Sponsors for our 2019 Sisters on a Journey Events are The Little Bird Foundation, Memorial Health, Coastal Electric, Savannah Toyota, and The McGraley Company.
