Hope hung in the air Aug. 5 as dozens of people showed up near McFadden Plaza downtown to play cornhole and raise funds for local cancer patients. The 12th annual HopeFest was organized by Carson Tahoe Health and Sierra Nevada Realtors. Besides a cornhole tournament, a raffle raised funds to support community members facing cancer. Funds help with rent and mortgage payments, gas vouchers, groceries, and the refurbishment of Carson Tahoe Health’s Merriner Cottages, which provide free lodging for cancer patients and their families. “In the seriousness of it, we still have to bring hope and happiness,” said 44-year-old Carson resident Kristi Matthies, the nursing supervisor of the Carson Tahoe Ambulatory Infusion Center. “We have to show them that the community is behind them.” The Merriner Cottages have housed an average of 1,875 night-stays per year totaling more than 29,000 nights of free lodging for patients and families since opening in 2006, according to Carson Tahoe. With new funding, they will be refurbished to provide homes for families dealing with the financial burden of a cancer diagnosis. Dayton resident Marjeana Lampson, 37, is an advanced-practice registered nurse at Carson Tahoe. She said the cottages enable patients from rural areas, such as Elko or Winnemucca, to get proper treatment. “This covers testing, diagnostics, medicine, transportation,” she said of the fundraising efforts. Reno resident Dane Deleon, 33, a competitive cornhole player in the Battle Born league, was taking practice throws with other players when he told the Appeal about helping friends with a recent death, donating half his tournament win toward funeral expenses. “It makes me want to play better, give back,” he said. “This is what the whole cornhole community should be about.” Reno resident Jacque Lloyd, director of the Battle Born league, agreed. “It’s the reason why we play in these types of events,” she said. “It’s fun to get people in the game and raise money for a good cause.” Raffle sales will continue through August, with a final total released in early September. Previous years have raised more than $100,000, according to Carson Tahoe. “We are so excited to be back to an in-person HopeFest event this year,” Angelina Craig, CTH Director of Philanthropy, said in a press release. “We believe no one should go through a cancer diagnosis alone, and that is what this fundraiser is about, making sure our neighbors facing cancer have all the resources they need while undergoing treatment.” To learn more, visit www.carsontahoe.com.
