Community Service

(09/24/09) Just in time for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an organization to provide local help and support for cancer patients and their families is born. A college student at the University of West Georgia and a local country musician drew from their own life experiences when they teamed up to form a new non-profit in Douglasville that will benefit cancer patients living in the community. Mary Dart, a college student, and Mike Brookshire, a local country musician, have founded an organization dedicated to cancer research that the two hope will grow into a major foundation capable of raising money for cancer patients in the area. Ms. Dart helped her own mother as she fought breast cancer while Mary was in high school. During the same time period, Mary's family was again impacted by cancer when her grandmother was given a diagnosis of ovarian cancer. Mary Dart met musician Mike Brookshire through Relay for Life. Relay For Life is the American Cancer Society’s signature activity. It offers everyone in a community an opportunity to participate in the fight against cancer. Brookshire had overcome his own battle with cancer at the age of 37. Just as he was beginning his music career, he was sidelined by chemotherapy. Brookshire spent almost nine moths in the hospital before undergoing the stem cell transplant that would save his life. Two very different people united by a singular purpose and a passion for cancer patients and their families. The kick-off event is scheduled to be held on October 18 in Downtown Douglasville at O'Neal Plaza. The event is slated to host several Christian bands, including Brookshire himself. Other booths will provide food and entertainment for the family. Everyone is invited to come out and enjoy the evening in support of cancer awareness. Dart and Brookshire hope to bring the community together and inspire others to keep fighting for the cause. They also wish to remind cancer patients that they are never alone and hope to create a foundation that will support the future of cancer research and the search for a cure.