Isabella Santos Foundation to Host Second Annual Pumpkin Charity Ball – Oct. 26
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Aug. 14, 2019 – “Fall into Charlotte” at the Isabella Santos Foundation’s (ISF) Second Annual Pumpkin Charity Ball to support Atrium Health’s Levine Children’s Hospital.
The fall-themed, black-and-white formal gala will take place Saturday, Oct. 26 at The Ritz Carlton, Charlotte from 7:00-11:00 p.m. Tickets are $150 per person and will include a cocktail hour, dinner program and dancing. The event emcees will be Jake and Page Fehling. Sponsorship opportunities are still available for the gala. To purchase tickets and for sponsorship information, visit pumpkincharityball.org or contact info@pumpkincharityball.org.
The Isabella Santos Foundation has partnered with Levine Children’s Hospital to establish the Isabella Santos Foundation Rare and Solid Tumor Program. The program will oversee care for all solid tumors, rare tumors, MIBG therapy and all related clinical and scientific research at the hospital. The Pumpkin Charity Ball will raise funds to support this large undertaking that will help solidify Levine Children’s Hospital as a leading healthcare provider in the U.S. Last year’s inaugural gala raised over $200,000.
“We look forward to bringing the community together for another wonderful evening of HOPE and to help further the pediatric cancer programs and treatment options at Levine Children’s Hospital,” said Erin Santos, executive director and president of the Isabella Santos Foundation. “The Pumpkin Charity Ball allows us to carry on Isabella’s legacy while helping other kids who are fighting cancer to Beat (the odds), Grow (awareness) and Live (without fear).”
About Isabella Santos Foundation
The Isabella Santos Foundation (ISF) is a 501(c)3 childhood cancer foundation dedicated to raising funds for research for rare pediatric cancers, and charities that directly impact the lives of children with cancer. ISF was founded in honor of Isabella Santos from Charlotte, N.C. who lost her battle against neuroblastoma. ISF is committed to improving rare pediatric cancer treatment options in an effort to increase the survival rate of kids with cancer so they can live their dreams. ISF has donated over $3 million to date to expand the scope of pediatric cancer research and treatment, and to fill various needs surrounding childhood cancers.
For more information, visit https://isabellasantosfoundation.org/ or follow ISF on Facebook (www.facebook.com/IsabellaSantosFoundation), Instagram (www.instagram.com/theisfoundation), Twitter (www.twitter.com/TheISFoundation) and LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/isabella-santos-foundation/)
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September 28th is going to be the “BEST DAY EVER!”
Our 5K/10K BRUNCH on September 28 is going to be a no-joke kind of brunch. We aren’t talking about just donuts and simply eggs and bacon. How does chicken and waffle sandwiches with honey hot sauce sound? How about fried green tomatoes with country ham, goat cheese, and pepper jelly? Beignets anyone? That is just a small sample of the incredible brunch menu Firebirds Wood Fired Grill Executive Chef is creating!
We had so much fun with these cute kiddos and Chef cooking up some scrumptious samples for our 12th Annual 5k,10k & Fun Run for Kids Cancer The kids created beignets. They decorated pancakes. They made the best mess and ate all the sugar. Stay tuned… we will start sharing all the goodness Chef is planning next week.
Thank you to our presenting sponsor Red Ventures and our Brunch sponsors Firebirds Wood Fired Grill, Tito’s Handmade Vodka and NoDa Brewing Company for helping us create the best event yet! Special thank you to Chef Chuck Asher and Swanson-Girard & Associates for hosting our messy fun in their kitchen!
Get registered and don’t forget to add on the BRUNCH and drink option when you do: 5kforkidscancer.com
Summer Executive Director Dish
August. Ahhhh… I love August. There are so many things I love about this month. School is approaching, which means the Fortnite screaming will come to a screeching halt, AND I love being on a schedule and at home. It’s time. My kids thrive on a schedule and we are all better people with bedtimes and alarms. Also, vacations are coming to a close, which is a good thing for us here at ISF. We try to stay motivated all year long, but emails we send tend to sit in an inbox during the months of June and July and usually around mid-August, and then begin to get returned to us much faster and the response time shortens. We love that. ☺
For those of you who have been with us for a while now, you know our fall is the shizzle. We do everything we can to make our flagship event bigger and better each year … with intention. I personally love the our 5K/10K race more than any event we do because it is where it all started, which was with Isabella. I remember how excited she was as the event was approaching. In Isabella style, she would always seem to relapse in August, which meant year after year, our volunteers, friends and loved ones would step up and put on an event to remember for her. Some years she could run it with hair that could barely be pulled back into pig tails and some years she was pulled in a red wagon, chubby from the steroids of a recent brain relapse. What I loved year after year was seeing the people who made this foundation what it is today. I know everyone gets busy and it’s hard to stay involved with us year-round. But the race was different. People put it on their calendars, they brought new people each year who would say, “Holy crap? This isn’t a race… this is festival!” and then those people would come every year after. I also love seeing the new people who didn’t know her or me and are just blown away by what we do. It all just gives me goose bumps to know it’s coming up… and it’s coming soon.
So, what can you expect this year? Look, I’m not just going to say it’s amazing because I’m the Executive Director. But it’s going to be amazing. What you will see this year is an added component that we should have done YEARS AGO! BRUNCH. And we are not talking about eggs and bacon. We are talking about a no joke kind of brunch. We have teamed up with Firebirds, Tito’s Vodka and Noda Brewing Company to give you a brunch
- Chicken and Waffle Sandwiches with honey hot sauce
- Smoked Pork and scrambled egg tacos with jack cheese and avocado pico
- Beignets
- Shrimp and Grits with Tasso Gravy
- Muffuletta Sandwiches
- Fried Green Tomatoes with Country ham, Goat Cheese & Pepper Jelly
- Biscuit Avocado Toast with a Poached Egg
- Bacon, Egg and Cheese Biscuit
- Kid’s Pancake & Doughnut Stations
Not to mention, a whole host of brunch drinks provided by Tito’s and Noda Brewing. Bloody Mary’s anyone?
So, for those of you who kick out the 5k/10k and try to fill your belly with Chick-Fil-A like you have in years past, you can still do that. and much more. Now, you have the opportunity to REALLY FILL THAT BELLY, and for those of you who don’t want to walk or run, you can just buy the brunch and chill, while your kids play in the Kids Zone and you bid on auction items. Yeah, it’s going to be the shizzle as we say. But you will need a brunch wristband, so you betta get one.
Be warned. Tickets for the brunch are going to be more expensive on the day of, so don’t let the smells of the morning be the trigger. Get on it now. Register for the race, buy the brunch. Be there. This is going to be our best one yet. Thank you to our title sponsor Red Ventures and BRUNCH sponsors who are helping us make this year epic. Go to 5kforkidscancer.com for all the details.
And of course, none of this can happen without your support, so reach out to us! Volunteer, help with the auction, buy something for us on #WishWednesday, create a team of runners, fundraise on our behalf, spread the word, bring your whole neighborhood, sponsor the race. Just do something. My team of women are working to the bone to blow you all away and sometimes just a little help from your friends goes a long way and motivates us even more.
We can’t wait to see you all on September 28th. You’ll find me in the brunch zone with a drink in hand – I mean… it all goes to charity, right?
Thanks for the support over all these years!
Erin Santos, Isabella’s Mommy
