Cancer touches us all. I lost my mom to the disease when I was a teen; decades later I supported my dad through two months of successful radiation therapy. So it was especially inspiring to see the Bellefontaine community rally around the Logan County Cancer Society (LCCS) and their annual Doors of EnCOURAGEment fundraiser Sunday night, Aug. 28.
According to event organizer Melody Couchman, this year’s auction raised more than $52,000 through the sale of 91 original, hand-painted/decorated doors, each one a work of art in its own way. And Couchman was delighted with the turnout and the support.
“It’s because so many people are willing to help that this even takes place,” she said. “To still have it going after 11 years speaks to how much the community values this event.”
Local artists, schools, businesses and organizations went to work months ago decorating their doors, using paint, glass, wood and stencils to create something special. Several were designed in memory of a loved one, some in support of an idea, many simply share words of faith and hope.
But what do you do with one of these doors once you buy it? “People are very creative,” LCCS COO Tammy Allison said. “They’ve made them into tables and headboards, one man set it up as the doorway to his home office, and others use them in their yard or garden as part of a display or memorial.”
Three local auctioneers once again donated their time in support of LCCS — Mick Lyle, Jeff Dalton and Kyle Bowman. They sold the doors in batches by choice. Over the course of the night, they managed to bring in sale prices from $75 to one door that went for $4,500.
Couchman said the idea for Doors of EnCOURAGEment came out of a need to recognize LCCS as a completely separate entity from the American Cancer Society. The two aren’t connected at all, and she wanted to people to realize they could receive assistance locally. To do that, they needed local financial support as well.
In the 11 years the auction has been going, they’ve sold more than 1,000 doors and brought in approximately $470,000.
To find out how you can support the Logan County Cancer Society, visit their website at maryrutan.org/LCCS or call Tammy Allison at (937) 599-7003.