The MaryEllen Locher Scholarship Fund at CHI Memorial Foundation is scheduling “Pink Out’’ volleyball events to raise funds for its college scholarship program for the children of breast cancer patients.
Local and regional high school volleyball teams are invited to schedule a Pink Out fundraiser, which honors and recognizes breast cancer patients. In a typical event, gyms are decorated, special T-shirts are sold, and a flower giveaway is held in recognition of breast cancer patients.
Any funds raised through Pink Out events will be used to provide college scholarships to the children of breast cancer patients. Schools that have sponsored Pink Outs in previous years include Ooltewah, Soddy-Daisy, Lookout Valley, Hixson, and Cleveland High schools; Baylor School, Silverdale Baptist Academy, Notre Dame High School, and Tyner Academy. To schedule an event, call Cindy Pare, MaryEllen Locher Scholarship Fund coordinator, at 423.495.4124 or email her at Cynthia_Pare@memorial.org.
The MaryEllen Locher Scholarship Fund awards scholarships to children who have either lost a parent to breast cancer, have a parent who is a breast cancer survivor, or have a parent who is currently in treatment. The organization was founded as an independent nonprofit in 2002 by MaryEllen Locher, a long-time news anchor and health reporter for WTVC in Chattanooga. Formerly known as the MaryEllen Locher Scholarship Foundation, it joined with CHI Memorial Foundation in January 2021.
Over the past 20 years, the fund has awarded 568 scholarships totaling just over $1 million. The awards are designed to ease the emotional and financial burdens faced by families dealing with breast cancer. Funds for scholarships are raised through special events, individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and private grants.
The CHI Memorial Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and all contributions made to the MaryEllen Locher Scholarship Fund are tax-deductible.
CHI Memorial Foundation also sponsors Mel’s Club, a breast health awareness and education program for teen girls. Topics covered include myths and misconceptions about breast cancer, prevention and detection of the disease, and how to do a breast self-exam. Mel’s Club also includes remarks from a breast cancer survivor. Presentations are available for schools, churches, civic organizations, and clubs. For more information on Mel’s Club or the MaryEllen Locher Scholarship Fund, visit memorial.org/MELScholarshipFund.
Online donations to the MaryEllen Locher Scholarship Fund can be made at memorial.org/foundation. Checks can be mailed to CHI Memorial Foundation, 2525 de Sales Avenue, Chattanooga, TN 37404. Please make a notation on the memo line of the check to direct to the MEL Scholarship Fund.