Back in action, Soirée raises $160,000 for cancer care
The Soirée on the Bay returned this year with a new location and format, but a continued focus on cancer services at Cape Cod Healthcare.
“We were overwhelmed with just how exciting it was to have people together again,” said Sharon Kennedy, a member of the planning committee. "We haven't been able to be in person since 2019, so it was a wonderful feeling to be able to gather again for this important cause, helping cancer patients, as many of our fellow Cape Codders as we can.”
For nearly 20 years, the Soirée On the Bay Committee, a group of Cape Cod volunteers, has raised money for cancer research and treatment. Due to restrictions around the COVID-19 pandemic, there was no in-person gala event the last two years. In 2020, the group recognized all Cape Cod Healthcare employees as their 2020 Soirée on the Bay Honorees. In 2021, they held a virtual fundraiser for scalp-cooling treatments, breast cancer treatment handbooks and gift cards that patients could use for gasoline or food.
This year’s event was held on Sept. 21 at the Pelham House Resort in Dennisport. Instead of a sit-down dinner, guests could mingle while visiting the sushi bar or nibbling on passed hors d’oeuvres.
The $160,000 total proceeds from the event will support both Cancer Services at Cape Cod Healthcare and the Soirée's own educational endowment fund, Alice’s Classroom. Nearly $84,000 raised through the night of appeal, Raise Your Hands for Alice's Classroom, will fund Cape Cod Healthcare’s new Oncology Nurse Navigator program.
Alice’s Classroom was established in 2019 to provide essential education resources for cancer patients, their caregivers and clinicians to honor Alice O'Neill, a 40+ year elementary school teacher who devoted herself to fundraising for cancer research. She passed away in 2021. The Soiree has raised more than $230,000 for Alice’s Classroom since the endowment was created.
“Every year we reach out to Katie Michaud, the executive director of cancer services for Cape Cod Healthcare, and ask, ‘What are your needs? What would be helpful?’ and immediately she came back with this new Nurse Navigator program,” said Kennedy.
Joan Macallister, Cape Cod Healthcare’s first oncology nurse navigator, is already working with several dozen patients and may eventually have a caseload of 250 to 300 patients per year.
“Our committee is made up of people who are cancer survivors or caregivers like I was, so we know personally how this can be helpful,” said Kennedy. “We just instantly thought this is exactly the right thing that we want to do.”
A large portion of the oncology team attended the Soirée. “It makes us feel good that they’ve bought into the nurse navigator concept, which will be a huge benefit for patients,” said committee member Melissa Marchand.
When asked if there were any challenges in relaunching the Soirée after a few years off, Marchand responded, “I would say it was more of an opportunity, because we were able to look at it with fresh eyes and come up with ways to make it even more exciting for our guests. It gave us an opportunity to change the format and location, and yet still be true to our mission to make a difference for cancer patients on Cape Cod.”
In addition to Kennedy and Marchand, the Soirée committee members are Phyllis Connelly, Barbara Dunn, Susan Ellis, Kathryn Norton and Diane Salomone.
Kennedy said the group still refers to themselves as the Mighty Eight, in honor of Alice O’Neill. “We felt Alice's magic all throughout the year of planning,” she said.
Added Marchand, “Alice’s Classroom is such a wonderful vehicle to help people and to forever remember what a tremendous influence and positive spirit Alice was for all of us.”
Photo (clockwise from top left): Oncology physicians, nurses and staff who take care of Cape Cod Healthcare patients include Patricia O'Donnell, Brenda Ouimette, Dr. Molly Sullivan, Dr. Jeff Martin, Barb Archambeault, Lindsay Haley, Kayla McMahan, Shelly West, Emily Gomes, Selma Dacosta, Rebecca Pindel, Joan Macallister, Reema Zaiter, Kristin Visco, Kara Anderson, Jennifer Brady, Tracee Gonsalves, Kim Rocha, Dr. Luke Liu, President and CEO Michael Lauf, Katie Michaud, Nicole Vardakis, Samantha Clarke. (Photo credit: Mel Marchand)
