On Oct. 18, local cancer patient assistance group Green for Pink is hosting its second annual Harvest Hafla fundraiser at Montrose’s Creative Motion Studios. The hafla, a traditional belly dance party, will be a lively event with raffle baskets, door prizes, fantasy character visits from Spectacular Entertainment and refreshments.
All proceeds from the event will go to Green for Pink, a grassroots organization that provides fresh food, free of charge, to recovering cancer patients.
Founder and cancer survivor Tara Reynolds got the idea for the program as she finished her own radiation treatment. She says, “I was surprised at how tired I was post-radiation. I don’t think people are aware of how long it takes to heal from treatments; there is a misperception that treatment stops and patients are 100 percent within weeks…I wanted to do something that involved our immediate community and involved tangible benefits for all.”
Launched in 2012, Green for Pink operates as a free Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) model and is run completely by volunteers who produce food and transport it to patients. Produce is available for patients in Medina, Summit, Lorain and Wayne counties; patients receive 5 to 7 pounds of fresh produce every week for four weeks. Reynolds says, “this is a win-win: we’re helping patients return to full, productive lives after cancer and supporting local family farms in the process.”
The hafla will feature the dancers of Veritas, Creative Motion Studio’s belly dance company, as well as guest performers from Northeast Ohio.
The event will be family-friendly and dancers will also perform a special piece that represents the journeys of cancer patients. Green for Pink will donate $150 from the fundraiser proceeds back to Creative Motion to be awarded as a scholarship.
Donors for the event include Summit Croissants, Cupcake Castle, Aladdin’s Restaurant, Dino Palmieri Salon Summit Mall, Basket of Life Farm, Stewart’s Caring Place Cancer Wellness Center, Silver Run Vineyard & Winery and Main Street Gourmet.
The Harvest Hafla will be located at Creative Motion Studios, 150 Springside Dr. Suite A-130, in Montrose. The event goes from 7 to 10 p.m., with a 6:30 p.m. pre-show. Admission is $10; children 5 and under are free. Tickets are sold at the door. Green for Pink can be found on Facebook and at www.green-for-pink.org.
