October’s Paint the Town Pink Raises More Than $100,000 to Support Cancer LifeNet

Paint the Town Pink, a community awareness and fundraising campaign organized by the University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health (UM UCH) Foundation in October and benefiting Cancer LifeNet, brought together over 100 participating sponsors and partners, raising more than $100,000.
 
Jones Junction served as the Presenting Sponsor, with a leadership commitment of $50,000, to pay tribute to all local patients experiencing cancer and their loved ones. “Harford County has been home to Jones Junction for generations, and supporting the people and organizations that make this community special has always been part of who we are,” said Bryan Kilby, President of Jones Junction Automotive Group. “We're proud to join so many local businesses in supporting Paint the Town Pink, raising awareness for Cancer LifeNet at University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health."
 
From decorated storefronts to 30 unique events held throughout the county by local businesses, churches, schools, clubs, organizations and government agencies, Paint the Town Pink brought the community together to honor National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and to raise both awareness and critical funds for Cancer LifeNet.
 
In its 20^th year, Cancer LifeNet provides more than 300 free-of-charge, supportive care programs to residents of Harford, Cecil and Northern Baltimore counties, regardless of where they receive their cancer treatment. Since its founding in 2006, Cancer LifeNet has been a vital resource to more than 30,000 patients and their families.
 
“We are grateful to Jones Junction and to all of this year’s sponsors and partners of Paint the Town Pink who have invested in the health of our community, specifically in Cancer LifeNet, to help ensure that exceptional care is available close to home,” said Aaron Rabinowitz, J.D., Ph.D., M.S., President of UM UCH. “This support is an example of an investment made for our community, by our community, and we thank our sponsors and partners for joining us in illustrating the power of local philanthropy.”
 
Cancer LifeNet, at the Patricia D. and M. Scot Kaufman Cancer Center, is located at University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Medical Center (UM UCMC) in Bel Air. UM UCMC Bel Air, a campus of UM UCH, is a member organization of the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS)—providing care to more Marylanders than any other health system in the state.
 
The annual operating budget of Cancer LifeNet, $1.2 million, is funded solely through philanthropic support and is designed to help patients and their loved ones find the resources needed to balance work, family and cancer treatment.
 
Among the wide array of services provided are nurse navigation, social work, offerings such as acupuncture, massage and reiki therapy, support from a registered dietitian and classes that teach about beauty and dealing with the physical side effects of cancer. The program offers financial resource advocates who, since they were added to the program in 2018, have saved local cancer patients nearly $10 million in out-of-pocket expenses. For more information and to support Cancer LifeNet, visit https://www.umms.org/uch/giving/support-a-cause/support-cancer-lifenet.