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Cove Cause for Cancer (CCC) is the area’s first non-profit organization with the sole focus on raising funds to help support members of our local communities who are going through a cancer journey and in need of financial support. Our grassroots effort began in January 2018, when Karen Claire, Tim Guyer, and Travis Russell began discussing ideas, hopes, and possibilities with Juls Bratton, of Girls Night Out Altoona, Inc., for an organization that would focus its efforts predominately on raising funds to help cancer patients in need of financial assistance.
Funds raised by Cove Cause for Cancer is donated to local voucher programs. Cancer patients may apply to these voucher programs for assistance with cancer-related expenses. Each year, the majority of the funds raised will be given to organizations who distribute money to cancer patients who reside in Blair and Bedford County, PA. A portion of the funds raised will also be provided to help fund the research being conducted to help put an end to this terrible disease.
Currently, funds raised are distributed by the following organizations:
The Bob Perks Cancer Assistance Fund, established in 2006 in memory of Bob Perks, a State College native, helps ease the financial burden of individuals and families in our community who are battling cancer by providing funding for basic necessities so the focus can remain on treatment and recovery. Bob passed away in 2005 after a long battle with melanoma at the young age of 42 years old. He left behind his wife and two very young children. He was a founding member of the local “Coaches vs. Cancer,” and remained active until his own battle with cancer took his life.
With the hope of fulfilling Bob’s wish to make a difference for those battling cancer, the Bob Perks Cancer Assistance fund was established by Doreen and Bob’s family, friends, and colleagues. Since its inception in 2006, the Fund has raised and allocated more than 1.7 million dollars for local cancer patients who struggle to pay for their most basic expenses in Blair, Centre, Clearfield, and Huntingdon County, PA. In 2018 alone, the Bob Perks Fund allocated nearly $257,000 donated dollars compared to $119,000 in 2017
While the emotional strain of a potentially fatal disease is enormously stressful, it becomes totally overwhelming when a family is forced to decide between buying food or heating their home. This is where the Bob Perks Fund steps in, providing short-term financial assistance to cancer patients who are unable to pay for basic necessities such as rent, utilities, and food while they are undergoing cancer treatments.
Cancer patients living in Blair, Centre, Clearfield and Huntingdon counties are referred to the Bob Perks Fund by healthcare professionals who are members of their cancer treatment team. Referral sources substantiate the cancer diagnosis and treatment plan and speak to the financial hardships faced by their patients. Eligible cancer patients submit bills totaling up to $750 for expenses such as rent, heat, utilities, food, and gas for cancer treatment travel. They may apply up to four times per year if their need continues. The aim of the Bob Perks Fund is to step in at a critical time and help cancer patients focus their energy on their health and recovery and to remove some of the overwhelming emotional stress caused by the financial burden they face. All dollars allocated to local cancer patients are donated to the Bob Perks Fund by our Strategic Partners: Coaches Vs. Cancer of Penn State, American Cancer Society, Huntingdon County United Way, Johnson Subaru of DuBois, Mount Nittany Health, Sheetz, Inc., and UPMC Altoona. Additional support is provided through local foundations, businesses, civic groups, individuals, families, and proceeds of Bob Perks Fund special events or other community events held on our behalf.
“When my wife was diagnosed with cancer, and I lost my full-time job, I wasn’t sure which direction to turn. The help that Bob Perks provided my family was essential to our daily survival. People don’t realize how many things are affected when you face cancer. Buying groceries and paying the bills became a stressor, as I was trying to care for my wife. I wanted to focus on her but was having to focus so much on finances. I cannot express the gratitude for the help that you gave my family.”
“Never in a million years did I think that I would be in a situation of fighting for my life but here it is. The unexpected expenses with having cancer are astronomical. As my fiancé tells me, ‘You have only one job to do and that is to fight for your life and survive.’ As the bills pile up, that is sometimes hard to do but with your help, my stress level is much lower. It is with deepest regard that I thank you for your help in easing my financial burden.”
“The assistance our patients receive from the Bob Perks Cancer Assistance Fund is essential in helping people to overcome financial barriers during cancer treatment. Without BPCAF there would be a gap in our ability to help patients who need financial assistance. Situations arise where patients are unable to pay for their most basic expenses or cannot afford durable medical equipment. In these situations, we turn to Bob Perks Fund and they are always responsive when we need them. In this way, it is truly a lifesaving assistance program. I do not know what we or our patients would do without the Bob Perks Cancer Assistance Fund.”
Cancer patients residing in Blair and Bedford County, PA may be eligible to receive financial aid to help with medical expenses through a voucher approval system at UPMC Hillman Cancer Treatment Center of Altoona. Please contact Karen Walters in the Altoona Office to learn more.
To be a strong support to all patients and families on Cancer Journeys, and to help to find cures for all types of cancer.
501(3)(c) Non-Profit Organization Through Central Pennsylvania Community Foundation of Altoona