ROCKINGHAM — For the past seven years, Highland Ventures Ltd (consisting of Family Video, Marco’s Pizza, Stay Fit 24, Total Wireless, Highland Pure Water & Ice, and Legacy Commercial Property), has raised over $7.8 million in support of the Lymphoma Research Foundation (LRF) and the Lymphoma Biobank at the University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center (UCCC).
And on Saturday, the Rockingham Family Video held its second annual run for Lymphoma Cancer Research at Hinson Lake with the hopes of raising money, and awareness, of lymphoma cancer and the research needed to treat it.
According to the American Cancer Society website, there are two main types of lymphoma cancers: Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Lymphomas are cancers that start in white blood cells called lympocytes, and can start anywhere where lymph tissue is found, including in the lymph nodes, lymph vessels, spleen, bone marrow, thymus, adenoids and tonsils and the digestive track.
Becky Myers Montanez, manager of the Family Video in Rockingham, said last year they were able to raise $2,000 from raffles, the run and rounding up their change to go toward the research.
“I would love to hit the $2,000 mark again,” said Montanez. “And I would love to do $2,500 this year.”
Since raising money, Montanez said she’s had several customers come into the store and share their stories of survival, and the stories of those who didn’t. She said there was a customer who came in and told them how he was told he had five months to live after being diagnosed with lymphoma cancer, and a year and a half later, he’s still alive.
“Something as small as Family Video can make a difference,” she said.
In 2013, the University of Chicago Medicine opened the Hoogland Lymphoma Biobank to give researchers access to a library of biological samples from lymphoma patients with the goal of using the samples to help researchers better study the complex family of cancers that turn the immune system’s infection-fighting white blood cells against a patient, according to the Family Video website.
And since the biobank was established, Dr. Sonali Smith, with the University of Chicago Medicine, enrolled more than 1,275 patients, received 1,000 blood samples and collected 500 tissue samples.
Family Video District Manager Dan Bovenzi said he was able to go to the biobank himself and see how their contributions are making an impact in cancer research.
“This isn’t a random fundraiser,” said Bovenzi. “What we’re doing is going somewhere and it’s making a difference.”
Bovenzi said the goal in their district (he covers from Burlington to Hickory and from Eden to Rockingham) is $25,000 and they’re at around $11,000 – $12,000. But he said there are still more events to come to raise more money.
“We take this very seriously,” he said. “The district is doing really well and we have a lot going on — carnivals, hair cuts, dunk tanks, etc. We really enjoy it down here.”
In addition to the race, Montanez said the store held a bake sale and they’re raffling off items from local businesses until March 24. The Easter bunny will also be making an appearance at their store from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on March 23 and they will be holding Hair Cuts for Cancer on March 24.