The Statesboro Jaycees‘ featured fundraising event, Jaycees Nite Out, has been on a hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic but came back bigger and better than ever this year.
Jaycees Nite Out is an annual fundraising event where members of the chapter and members of the community are invited to come have a good time for a good cause by visiting local bars and restaurants where transportation is provided. The proceeds from each Jaycees Nite Out benefits a local non-profit organization, with this year’s beneficiary being the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Light the Night of Savannah/Southeast Georgia.
The most recent Jaycees Nite out was hosted on Saturday August 6, 2022, with a Beach Bash theme. This year, Jaycees Nite Out made four stops at Southern Social, Dolan’s Barbeque, Dingus Magee’s, and Gnat’s Landing.
Following the event, the Jaycees Nite Out co-chair and Jaycees Events Director Bailey Brinson presented a check from the Statesboro Jaycees to Katherine Welch in the amount of $5,244.62 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. The check was presented at the September meeting, where Katherine Welch was a guest speaker and shared her story.
Bringing light to the darkness
Katherine was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia at the age of 29 while she was 22 weeks pregnant and had to start treatment immediately to survive. Doctors mentioned termination of her pregnancy, and she new that was not an option for her.
During Katherine’s hospital stay, the Atlanta Light the Night event was happening, and a nurse delivered white lanterns to all the patients. Katherine was apprehensive, but her husband encouraged her to participate. The white lantern provided Katherine with a light of support to a community of like-minded people.
Katherine’s son was born at 35 weeks at perfect health while she was in remission after undergoing three rounds of chemotherapy during her pregnancy. When Katherine’s son was seven months old, she found out that she had relapsed. She had to undergo a stem cell transplant, four more rounds of chemotherapy, and a clinical trial cell transplant with T-cells removed from an unrelated donor.
Katherine is now celebrating five years cancer free and shares her story of survival to give others hope, especially expectant mothers. Katherine’s experience has come full circle, as she is now the Campaign Development Manager for the Light the Night of Savannah/Southeast Georgia.
Katherine concluded her story by saying, “I know our family would not be what it is today without the support of our local community here in Statesboro. Thankfully, the support has not stopped, and that’s where all of you fit in. You willingly chose to donate your time, hard work, and funds from Jaycees Night Out to your local Light the Night Chapter. In a world where there is so much hatred and negativity, you brought light to the darkness of hope. You did this in our community, and you made it fun! All of you are leading by example to serve others and I want you to know how much I appreciate all of you as a local blood cancer survivor.”
Local sponsors made event possible
This event would not have been as successful if it wasn’t for the generosity of the following sponsors.
Silver Sand Dollar Sponsors:
- Davis Creative
- Boro Sno
- Frills by Scott
- Sew Much Fun
- Morris Bank
- Bites in the Boro
- Bleu Blush
- Bruce, Matthews, & Lavoie
- Benjamin-Moore Paintmaster
- Tim Durden Construction
- Lavender & Associates
- Citizens Bank of the South
- 30 Volume
- BBWH Insurers
- Ellis Meat Market
- Lauren Groover at Statesboro Properties
- AgSouth
Golden Gills Sponsors:
- Lewis Color Lithographers
- Berkshire Hathaway Realty
- Ranco
- Kennedy’s Heating and Air
- Dabbs, Hickman, Hill, and Cannon LLP
- Lanier, Deal, and Proctor
- Colony Bank
- Renasant Bank
- Grice Connect
- Bulloch First
- Watersedge Design
- Best Friends Animal Hospital
- County Line Package
- ReMax/Eagle Creek Realty
Platinum Pirate Sponsors:
- Weichert Realtors
- Sullivan Law Firm
- South Georgia Cancer Center
About the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s mission is to cure Leukemia, Lymphoma, Hodgkin’s Disease and Myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. LLS is the largest funder of research to help find a cure for blood cancers, they advocate for policies at the state and federal level to help remove barriers to care for cancer patients, and are the leading source of resources like education and support for patients, survivors, and healthcare professionals.
The Savannah/Southeast Georgia Light the Night event was rescheduled due to Hurricane Ian and will be on November 4th, 2022 at 5:30 PM at Memorial Health, 4700 Waters Avenue, Savannah, Ga. For more information, please visit https://www.lightthenight.org/events/savannahsoutheast-georgia.
About the Statesboro Jaycees
Previous Jaycees’ Nite Out events raised $2,000 for the Boys and Girls Club of Bulloch County, $3,000 for Fostering Bulloch, $3,400 for the Statesboro Food Bank, and $2,400 to the Hearts and Hands Clinic.
For updates on Statesboro Jaycees’ events and membership information, visit www.statesborojaycees.com or find them on Facebook. The Jaycees meet monthly on the second Tuesday of each month at the Clubhouse of Statesboro at 6:15pm with networking starting at 5:45pm.